Visual Basic on the PC w
A hands-on exploration of Visual Basic 3.0 running on Windows 3.1 via DOSBox-X emulation, structured as a 21-day learning journal. Covers VB3's origins (Alan Cooper's Tripod/Ruby, acquired by Gates), its IDE design strengths and weaknesses, a detailed comparison with Apple's HyperCard, and reflections on Microsoft's 'good enough' culture versus Apple's taste-driven approach. Highlights include VB3's drag-and-drop controls, edit-and-continue debugging, database capabilities, and keyboard shortcut system, alongside criticisms of the properties panel UX, menu editor limitations, and the text editor's intrusive syntax checking. Concludes with broader musings on creative process, generative AI, and what legacy software today's tech giants might leave behind.