I used to use Turbo BASIC, but QuickBASIC was a major step up from that. QB4.5 made BASIC feel professional. Microsoft was very clever to replace GWBASIC with QBASIC. I wonder how many people graduated to QuickBASIC from it.
There is a whole swath of developers that toiled outside of the mainstream and made some great things in BASIC and other tools. Check balancing programs, CD collection databases, little game and many other apps that simply didn't exist because "serious" developers were doing "real" things. I came to realize later in life, after 2000, that all of these apps that improved the human condition becuase it is a cool game or learning experience or solving a problem no one else would touch were great, great things.
they also have the cut down qbasic that came with dos 5 and 6 as well on that site.
just avoid touching the serial port with it. that way lies madness. :-)