When programming languages appeared in the 1950s and 60s, most of the early learning resources or manuals assumed their readers were engineers, mathematicians, or experienced tinkerers.

[1] BASIC was quickly implemented on time-sharing services, minicomputers, and the first microcomputers, and technology enthusiasts worked to bring programming skills to people with little or no experience in computing.

[2] For example, Bob Albrecht, co-founder of the People’s Computer Company Newsletter, published a BASIC primer designed to make programming exciting and enriching.

For example, columnist Dian Crayne published program listings and design tips in PC Magazine, inviting readers to construct their own adventure-type games using BASIC and assembly language.

[5] BASIC dialects proliferated in the late-1980s, and software companies added an integrated development environment (IDE) and structured programming enhancements to their compilers and interpreters to attract more customers.

[7] Learn BASIC Now was written by Michael Halvorson and David Rygmyr, two Microsoft Press employees with experience in PC programming and technical writing.

Main topics included an introduction to problem solving, building algorithms, controlling program flow, creating subprograms and functions, working with arrays, string-processing techniques, using files and databases, and integrating graphics and sound into games.

Despite this bad press, personal computers have entered the workplaces and homes of millions, allowing people to perform useful work that makes their lives easier and more productive.

Byte (magazine) columnist and science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle wrote the Foreword to the book, emphasizing the value of learning programming as a gateway to future employment and personal fulfilment.

wrote, “BASIC is an ideal first language… For learning to program, Microsoft Game Shop provides an excellent introduction with plenty of fun and useful tools.

[18] Learn BASIC Now has been cited as a successful model for teaching self-taught learners programming skills in an era when computer instruction was expensive and difficult to obtain.

[19] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, BASIC was one of the most popular programming languages and closely related to the rise of computing as a social and cultural phenomenon.