Solve : GW Basic - Need a cd copy?

1.	Solve : GW Basic - Need a cd copy?
Answer» Use GOSUB instead of GOTO. And place a comment on the line to explain what the GOSUB does. Quote from: DaveLembke on March 26, 2013, 02:32:35 PM I have a 5.25" floppy in storage that is DOS 2.11 and it has GW-Basic on it. I think DOS 2.11 was the first to come with GW-Basic. When purchasing a retail copy of MS-DOS, people will have trouble getting a version earlier than 3.20. Microsoft did not offer a GENERIC version of MS-DOS until v3.20 in 1986 and before then, all variants of the OS were OEM ones. Depending on the OEM, BASIC was distributed as either BASICA.EXE or GWBASIC.EXE. I was looking at the paper manual I have for GW-Basic which says "This version of GW-BASIC requires MS-DOS version 3.2 or later." The initial version of GW-BASIC was the one included with Compaq DOS 1.13 (released with the Compaq Portable in 1983) and was ANALOGOUS to IBM BASICA 1.10. It used the CP/M-derived file control blocks for disk access and did not support subdirectories. Later versions added this feature and improved graphics and other capabilities. GW-BASIC 3.20 (1986) added EGA graphics support (no version of BASICA or GWBASIC had VGA support) and was in effect the last new version released before it was superseded by QBASIC. I can't thank you enough for the website. I will check it out. The person did not intend to get it for free. Just needed a copy. I did check eBay and Amazon previous to posting this question and could not find a copy for sale. I also contacted Microsoft and asked if I could buy a copy of the CD. I was told that I could not and that they could not be of any further assistance in directing me to where I might find one. After that conversation I was very discouraged. I am going to check out the site you suggested. Again, thank you so much! Quote from: Geek-9pm on March 26, 2013, 10:02:40 AM Salmon Trout, Excellent! Did the OP intend to get GW-BASIC for free? If so, Why? Did the OP not look for certifiable physical copies of the product? There are vrsions of the product still in warehouses in pristine condition.One source of legal versions of the product are on the eBay auction site. Bat Both eBay and Microsoft watch for any non-verifiable sales of the product.Vendors who stockpiled old versions of MS-DOS with GW-BASIC have the right to make a small recoup of their investment in a out0of date material. To use the metaphor used by BC. imagine my neighbor has an old truck parked in his yard with a for sale sign. The price is very low. The truck is in good condition. So will I become annoyed because hie does not want to just give it to me for nothing? And shall I co spire with others no steal his truck and claim that no wrong was done? Because I wanted it? Using that form of logic, if something is very old and cheap, it is alright to just steal it. How absurd! Again, it is for sale. Legally. Why become a thief for a few dollars? Old, used and out of Print MS-DOS for Sale http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/msdos.htm Above is one of a number of sites offering old Microsoft materials. Legally. Microsoft has comments on this topic. So they have not 'abandoned' the old truck. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/72095 Yes, the post is old, but still in the Knowledge Base and indexed by Google. MS-DOS 3.3 and GW-BASIC discs and manual are sold in original package on Eb AY for about $20. Although MS does no make a direct profit, as way as anybody knows, this kind of sale is allowed on eBay by MS. However, making additional copies for any kind of distribution MUST be approved in writing by MS.

Answer»

Use GOSUB instead of GOTO. And place a comment on the line to explain what the GOSUB does. Quote from: DaveLembke on March 26, 2013, 02:32:35 PM

I have a 5.25" floppy in storage that is DOS 2.11 and it has GW-Basic on it. I think DOS 2.11 was the first to come with GW-Basic.

When purchasing a retail copy of MS-DOS, people will have trouble getting a version earlier than 3.20. Microsoft did not offer a GENERIC version of MS-DOS until v3.20 in 1986 and before then, all variants of the OS were OEM ones. Depending on the OEM, BASIC was distributed as either BASICA.EXE or GWBASIC.EXE. I was looking at the paper manual I have for GW-Basic which says "This version of GW-BASIC requires MS-DOS version 3.2 or later."

The initial version of GW-BASIC was the one included with Compaq DOS 1.13 (released with the Compaq Portable in 1983) and was ANALOGOUS to IBM BASICA 1.10. It used the CP/M-derived file control blocks for disk access and did not support subdirectories. Later versions added this feature and improved graphics and other capabilities.

GW-BASIC 3.20 (1986) added EGA graphics support (no version of BASICA or GWBASIC had VGA support) and was in effect the last new version released before it was superseded by QBASIC.
I can't thank you enough for the website. I will check it out. The person did not intend to get it for free. Just needed a copy. I did check eBay and Amazon previous to posting this question and could not find a copy for sale. I also contacted Microsoft and asked if I could buy a copy of the CD. I was told that I could not and that they could not be of any further assistance in directing me to where I might find one. After that conversation I was very discouraged. I am going to check out the site you suggested. Again, thank you so much!

Quote from: Geek-9pm on March 26, 2013, 10:02:40 AM

Salmon Trout, Excellent!

Did the OP intend to get GW-BASIC for free? If so, Why?
Did the OP not look for certifiable physical copies of the product? There are vrsions of the product still in warehouses in pristine condition.One source of legal versions of the product are on the eBay auction site. Bat Both eBay and Microsoft watch for any non-verifiable sales of the product.Vendors who stockpiled old versions of MS-DOS with GW-BASIC have the right to make a small recoup of their investment in a out0of date material.

To use the metaphor used by BC. imagine my neighbor has an old truck parked in his yard with a for sale sign. The price is very low. The truck is in good condition. So will I become annoyed because hie does not want to just give it to me for nothing? And shall I co spire with others no steal his truck and claim that no wrong was done? Because I wanted it?
Using that form of logic, if something is very old and cheap, it is alright to just steal it. How absurd!

Again, it is for sale. Legally. Why become a thief for a few dollars?

Old, used and out of Print MS-DOS for Sale
http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/msdos.htm
Above is one of a number of sites offering old Microsoft materials. Legally.
Microsoft has comments on this topic. So they have not 'abandoned' the old truck.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/72095
Yes, the post is old, but still in the Knowledge Base and indexed by Google.

MS-DOS 3.3 and GW-BASIC discs and manual are sold in original package on Eb AY for about $20. Although MS does no make a direct profit, as way as anybody knows, this kind of sale is allowed on eBay by MS.
However, making additional copies for any kind of distribution MUST be approved in writing by MS.

Solve : GW Basic - Need a cd copy?

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