Once upon a time, knowing how to use a computer was virtually synonymous with knowing how to program one. And the thing that made it possible was a programming language called BASIC. John Kemeny ...

“You gotta try this,” he told me, and handed over a piece of paper on which he’d handwritten a program ... programming, of course, but never suspected it was something kids could do. But BASIC?

This type of ad hoc programming ... based screen. Basic transformed home computing because you could type in what you wanted and get an instant result. If your program didn't work, you could ...