AmigaBASIC: IS IT REALLY DEAD?
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     Time and again we've been told "AmigaBASIC just won't run on
  Kickstart 2."  And so, at first sight, it seems:  on trial, it failed
  to load a file or even respond to a simple direct-entry command like
  "print 2 + 2".

     Well, as the old song goes, "it ain't necessarily so."

     On my A3000 (KS 2.04 in ROM, stock machine apart from memory
  expansion) I've found it possible to run the following:

          > Nearly all the examples on the WB 1.3 Extras disk
          > Eighty percent or more of the programs I've collected from PD
            sources, including Megadisc
          > Two graphics demos taken at random from HiSoftBASIC 1.05.

     So here's a suggestion for those who have only KS2/WB2.  Rather than
  throw away your AmigaBASIC interpreter and all your programs, try this:
  run NOFASTMEM (WB2 System drawer) first.

     For doubters, a quick check: try the series "BASIC Curves" from MD31.

     The version I have is 1.2 (103500 bytes) but this dodge is reputed to
  work on v. 1.3 and ought to be worth trying on any other version.
  Credit goes to an "Amiga World" reader for proposing it.

     Incidentally, AmigaBASIC v. 1.2 can be compressed with Imploder to
  just 70 kB.  Another thing:  some programs seem to run best by clicking
  on the program's icon, then shift-doubleclicking on the BASIC icon.
  This may also obviate the occasional need to revise default-tool entries
  or rename "Extras" disks so as to run different programs (a real puzzler
  for beginners.)

                                                  Alan Jones

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