Dan Kosack writes:

> Of course,
>  if memory serves, this will leave those who live and die by BASIC/V rather
>  out of luck in future environments.  Hp can freely break CM compatibility
>  in forthcoming releases because it will no longer be supported.

If HP should break CM compatability, I know of at least one camper who isn't
going to be happy :-(.

However, in all seriousness, there is no way that HP can do that and still
call the machine an HP3000. An enormous amount of software, BASIC-created or
not, still runs in CM mode -- or its close relative, OCTCOMPed CM.

You may be confusing the fact that BASIC/V is going off the even-sorta-
supported list with somehow making old BASIC code no longer work. The latter
condition simply can't happen so long as at least one HP3000's innermost clock
still ticks true and its CPU still draws a breath of fresh air through its
fans.

But as to the former condition, I've argued several times before that BASIC/V
should be put onto HP's web pages as freeware. BASIC hasn't been updated in
(10-15?) years, regardless of whether or not you've been paying support for
it. However, not having any changes made to a piece of software is no more
than a high-tech way of saying that BASIC/V is an extremely stable product --
and there is an enormous amount of economic value to be said for such a
condition.

If the choice is to simply throw BASIC away or make it freeware, the choice
seems obvious to me. Having such an extraordinarily powerful bit of software
freely available to whoever wishes to use it can certainly do the HP3000 no
harm.

Wirt Atmar