I started programming in GW-BASIC on an IBM PC clone running MS-DOS. Back then, many so-called home and business computers came bundled with a BASIC interpreter, mostly made by or licensed from Microsoft. They all looked similar. You were greeted by a screen with a READY or OK prompt and a blinking cursor waiting for your input. The “screen editor” and interpreter were all in one in the true sense of the word – they weren’t bolted together like the separate text editors and interpreters/compilers we use these days…
I think it’s a bad idea to start with BASIC in this day and age. However, I do think it’s a very good idea to teach student BASIC once they’ve learned a modern language. It’s a great way to teach them why programming works the way it does and to teach about the roots.