Newton Programming is BASIC

BASIC, the longtime favorite programming language for several generations of computer hobbyists, has now made the move to Apple’s Newton. NS BASIC, an interpretative environment from NS BASIC Corporation, enables people to program directly on the Newton without the need for a desktop computer.

BASIC is often regarded as one of the more friendly programming environments, mostly because of it simple constructs and the interactive nature in which applications are built. NS BASIC uses popup menus to create programs, however a user can also use the on-screen keyboard or handwriting recognition.

Users can download programs from their PC or Macintosh through the serial port using a terminal emulator program. While NS BASIC is not intended to be a substitute for the full Newton Toolkit, it does enable programmers to create serious applications that include a broad range of features including handwriting input.

NS BASIC runs in approximately 120 KB of memory, and the company recommends using a PCMCIA memory card with the program. For this release, any NS BASIC application requires the full environment to run the program. Since this requires users to have an NS BASIC license, this restricts the range of distribution options. However, the company plans to offer a royalty free run time module in the future.

The product comes with a 150 page user manual, and includes examples and explanations of the statements and functions. NS BASIC is available immediately for $99.00.

NS Basic Corporation
77 Hill Crescent
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1M 1J3
(416) 264-5999
(416) 264-5888 (fax)
[email protected] (Internet)