I can't say I agree that modern systems don't come with BASIC. Windows machines (the vast majority of machines for home users) since Windows 2000 have all come with the modern version of BASIC, VBScript. If you don't believe me, just create a vbscript file and run it:

1. Launch cmd.exe from the start menu (start / run)

2. execute notepad.exe from the cmd

3. In notepad, type the following BASIC code:

for i=0 to 10

wscript.echo i

next

4. Save the file through save as, name it something like forloop.vbs

5. In the cmd, type

cscript forloop.vbs

Result: the BASIC code (actually vbscript, but very similar) will print out the same results a 1980's BASIC programmer would expect -- all the integers from 0 to 10 inclusive will be displayed.

I agree that the friendly environment of qbasic that used to exist in win9x / nt4 is gone, but the halcyon days of TRS-80's recalled by the article did not include such a supportive environment either.

Otherwise, the status quo is much better than before. Consider:

1. Vbscript supports not just the command line, but can be used from within a web browser to do much more interesting things such as accessing more complex controls / graphics / web sites.

2. Vbscript supports object-oriented features -- good for teaching people more productive ways to create useful software.

3. The docs for vbscript far surpass what was available for old BASICs -- that's because the entire Internet is at your disposal, starting with www.msdn.microsoft.com and continuing on to countless reference / informational sites. Vbscript is used in web pages as well, so someone can get sample code from working live web sites.

4. Once you learn vbscript, you can learn jscript, a somewhat better language that is a good stepping stone to "real" languages like C++, C#, Java.

Is there a reason the article omits this? Does the article assume some substantial difference between the old BASICs and the much more powerful VBScript and its related languages?

In my opinion the presence of vbscript and other scripting languages in the default installation of the most popular operating system invalidates the premise of the article, but maybe I'm missing something. :)

And btw, I didn't mention the fact that the powerful standard Unix shell is installed on all versions of Mac OS X for the remainder of folks who use a Mac at home.