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Actually, starting with MS-DOS 5, QBasic - a feature reduced version of the commercial QuickBasic - was included.

There was https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GW-BASIC before that, which allowed me to start programming. Edit: fixed link

I may very well be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that was a Compaq thing. I certainly don't remember BASIC coming with any version of DOS or Windows out of the box in 1984. May be later on in the decade.

Best I watch 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' to check a reliable source... /s

I wasn't sure about GW-BASIC. I remember running it on a PC that came with MS-DOS 4.0, but that came with the PC (a Laser 286) as well.

MS-DOS 5.0 was a shrink-wrapped box purchase, so I was sure it was "pure".

I stand corrected. Though that was in 1991, which is 7 years after the timeframe the OP is arguing about.

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