Скачать или смотреть IBM PCjr BASIC Sample: MUSICA.BAS

This is the "advanced" version of the music program which came with early IBM computers, written to demonstrate the capabilities of the BASIC programming language. This version could only run on the IBM PCjr.

As a kid, I was fascinated by the charming simplicity of the BASIC samples when I tried them out on my grandpa's 486 computer in 2007 (I probably revisited them, as I did use it years before then). He previously owned an IBM PC XT, so obviously these programs would've carried over to the newer machine. When I got to keep the computer for myself later on, I found a sample program called "MUSICA.BAS" next to the usual "MUSIC.BAS" - only to find out it would not run on my computer. So, for the last 15 years, I had been left in the dark on what this program was, as I haven't found any accounts of this specific program running.

After finally getting around to emulating a PCjr, I had a lot of trouble getting this off the ground. At first, I couldn't work out how to boot PC-DOS 2.10 (the version PCjr computers would've typically used); as it turns out, the "turbo timings" setting for the floppy drive absolutely must be switched off. Then, when it comes to running BASICA "Advanced BASIC", it requires you to have IBM Cartridge BASIC plugged in if you load the program on a PCjr. The other struggle I had was getting my copy of MUSICA.BAS to load; I think mine was compiled, so I'd get the error "Direct statement in file". Even when converting it to plain text via GW-BASIC, I got various syntax errors trying to run that here.

As it turns out, the second PC-DOS 2.10 disk includes its own MUSICA.BAS in plain text, so I was finally able to load this program. Considering the PCjr includes more advanced sound hardware than the baseline PC speaker, I expected this program was going to take advantage of it. Well... it didn't, not even close. All it does is use the PCjr's high color graphics to display a bird which can be outfitted to match any of the musical renditions found in this program. This was one of the most anticlimactic things I've seen in some time, but I don't see why this couldn't be ported to EGA using a later version of GW-BASIC, or even QBASIC for that matter.

0:00 Loading
0:26 Funeral March of a Marionette - Gounod
0:54 Stars and Stripes Forever - Sousa
1:20 Symphony #40 by Mozart
1:46 Mexican Hat Dance - Traditional
2:04 Humoresque by Dvorak
2:23 La Cucaracha - Mexican Folk Song
2:36 Pop! Goes the Weasel - Anonymous
2:54 Yankee Doodle - Anonymous
3:13 Sakura - Japanese Folk Melody
3:36 Blue Danube Waltz by J.S. Strauss
4:22 SCALES