DOS ain't dead

Hi all,

one can still get it. Support mailed me this in February:
Basically, the terms are this - this is still a licensed product - but for free. It is not freeware. If people inquire about how to get it - have them email support@powerbasic.com - I am working on a more permanent user friendly solution than this - so the link above will be temporary anyway.

You will get a download link and a serial number.

Cheers,
Robert

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Forum admin

These are good news to keep PB in use. Even if it was not updated since 1996 or so, it is still the best Basic compiler for DOS, even supporting pointers: http://www.javiergutierrezchamorro.com/punteros-en-basic/2317

> These are good news to keep PB in use. Even if it was not updated since
> 1996 or so, it is still the best Basic compiler for DOS, even supporting
> pointers:

The FreeBasic is also not bad
But OK, you have on mind the 16-bit environment. And I am not sure how the pointers are implemented in FB.
But what I like on the Powerbasic is the nice IDE.

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DOS-u-akbar!

> this is still a licensed product

Isn't everything literally copyrighted by default nowadays?

> for free.

Honestly, did they mean "for a fee" here?????

> It is not freeware.

Uh ... so it's still "commercial" (or proprietary), I presume.

> You will get a download link and a serial number.

IIRC, this company is under new ownership. Yes, some people always raved about PB, so I'm glad it's still around for purchase, I suppose. I don't need it, but how much, exactly? (Used to be $99 USD, right?)

> The FreeBasic is also not bad

It's FOSS, multi-platform, supports (some) backwards compatibility, new extended syntax, compiles itself, has "-gen gcc", etc. It's very good.

> But OK, you have on mind the 16-bit environment.

Why not Turbo Pascal or FPC's i8086-msdos? I know they're different languages with different legacies and strengths, just saying ... {$mode tp} ain't bad.

> And I am not sure how the pointers are implemented in FB.

It has them, but I don't recall the syntax offhand. (Of course, FB is 32-bit DPMI, which is a different environment.)

As you probably know, classic Pascal didn't use pointers (except for the heap). Unlike C which used them for everything (arrays decay into pointers). So Pascal, traditionally, was safer and easier. Even Modula-2/Oberon relegated them (well, raw "addresses") to SYSTEM (only for low-level stuff). You shouldn't need them for normal apps just to use arrays.

> But what I like on the Powerbasic is the nice IDE.

Most people have third-party editors that they prefer over IDEs. There are billions of text editors. Exuberant Ctags is old but has some support for BASIC (hence good for VILE, JED, VIM, or whatever else). Not sure about GNU Emacs, but there's probably some support "somewhere".

> > this is still a licensed product
>
> Isn't everything literally copyrighted by default nowadays?

Since the Berne convention, 5 December 1887

I want to thank you for this news.
I obtain my copy and got a lot of fun with this product, now.

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Make DOS great again!
Make Russia small again!

> These are good news to keep PB in use. Even if it was not updated since
> 1996 or so, it is still the best Basic compiler for DOS, even supporting
> pointers:
> http://www.javiergutierrezchamorro.com/punteros-en-basic/2317

Surprissingly, even if still version 3.50, copyright is 2008, and EXEs are slightly different than my previous 1996 o 1997 version.

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Visit my personal blog at https://www.javiergutierrezchamorro.com

For German-speaking users this 1992 book "PowerBasic-Programmierhandbuch" (380 pages) by Günter Born plus examples might be interesting too: https://borncity.com/books/free-books-library/ https://borncity.com/free-books-library/. It's also available for free.

UPDATE 2025-05-04: Fixed URL.

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Forum admin

It seems the topic is getting some interest again. So find below some additional details.

Reviewing installer data at PB35.pbz only 3 files were updated after 1997: PBINST.EXE, PB.EXE and README.TXT.



README is updated as well as stated updated documentation.




EXE files for PB.EXE are a few bytes larger.




When requested, I got the following email. It was free, but not redistributable.

Temporarily – while we are working through GDPR issues on the main site, I can do this. The link below is temporary and will be removed, so please do not share.

The terms as listed on our website for PB/DOS are as follows:
° This is now an unsupported product.
° There is still a PowerBASIC for DOS sub-forum on the PowerBASIC peer support forum, but we will not provide technical support for the product.
° This product is not freeware. You may not distribute it to others.
° You agree to abide by the legal version of the license agreement (attached to this email).
° This is still a licensed product, but provided by request at no cost.
° If you are asked about this product – direct people to email support@powerbasic.com for more information.
http://gazette.powerbasic.com/downloads/4N16R1B4/SetupDOS.exe

Use this serial number for installation: XXXXXX

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Visit my personal blog at https://www.javiergutierrezchamorro.com

> It seems the topic is getting some interest again. So find below some
> additional details.

Your screenshots are unreadable or at least very hard to read. I recommended to use the PNG format (not JPEG) and a proper resolution.

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Forum admin