Quick Basic was _never_ distributed with MS-DOS, only GW BASIC (or BASICA if you have PC-DOS). GW BASIC is interpreted, and Quick Basic is compiled. As I recall, the last version of Quick Basic released was v4.5, but it was _always_ sold separately from MS-DOS. As far as having a license to run an older version of software for which you have a current version license ... I don't believe that to be universal. The railroad for which I work went through Microsoft's MLA program to acquire such rights (we can buy Office 97, but install Office 4.3 on our Win 3.1 PCs). Keep in mind that many products can not be exported for these types of reasons ... the laws differ quite a bit between countries. This could explain why you have a New Zealand license which does permit use of a previous version, even though a U.S. license may not. -- Mitch ------------------------------------ Mitch Miller, Roseville, CA mitchm@ns.net ------------------------------------ -----Original Message----- From: Russell McMahon [SMTP:apptech@CLEAR.NET.NZ] Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 3:28 PM To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Subject: Re: QWBASIC or QBASIC?? - Legality Twas I who made the comment about it being legal to run an older version of a program if you own a newer version. I have this in writing from Microsoft in my country (New Zealand). What I would like to have is a DEFINITIVE statement about whether QUICKBASIC 4.0 or QUICKBASIC 4.5 WITH compiler were ever distributed free with MSDOS. I was not personally aware that they were, and I have heard opinions both ways so far. Has anyone got original MSDOS disks with a COMPILING copy of BASIC thereon? If so, it is apparently legally distributable to any legitimate MSDOS owner of eg MSDOS 6.22. I have since downloaded a copy of QUICKBASIC 4.50 from the net which works but it gives no indication of its provenance - I think I'm going to have to assume it is commercial software until I discover otherwise. [ :-) - before you ask - Sorry, I won't supply this to anyone else unless/until it is shown to be legitimate to do so]. regards Russell McMahon From: Scott Shidel... >On Fri, 25 Dec 1998, Paul B. Webster VK2BZC wrote: >Second. One of the people i sent the file to was saying he heard >directly from Microsoft that if you legally own a current version of a >program, that you can run older versions of it for free. Since QBasic >came on DOS 6.22, that means that as long as you are running 6.22 or >higher you can have this prgram anyhow. >At anyrate, approximately 15 more ppl have that program now..Im sure one >of them wont have any qualms aobut sending it to you.