Date   : Fri, 11 Jan 1985 11:16:13 PST
From   : bang!crash!bwebster@Nosc.ARPA
Subject: TURBO Pascal

>  As long as discussion has turned to Pascal, someone tell me this:
>   How does the *&$#%@ thing work ?!?!?!?
>  Is it true the P Kahn is from the 14th dimension?

When I first saw a TURBO Pascal ad (about a year ago), I figured it had to
be some sort of scam or at least gross deception.  I phoned and asked for a
review copy (I was writing a Pascal column for IBM Softalk at the time),
ready to rip it to shreds when it arrived.  Instead, I wrote such a glowing
(if slightly incredulous) review that Borland quotes me in their ads.  I've
asked Philippe Kahn about it on a number of occasions, and he just tells me
that it's a "simple recursive-descent compiler" and "I'm surprised that 
nobody else has come out with one."  I still think it's magic.
                                               ..bruce..
                                       Bruce Webster, Contr. Ed., BYTE
                                       bang!crash!bwebster@nosc
                                       {ihnp4 | sdcsvax!bang}!crash!bwebster