All About Freeware

Although it was once a commercial product, Borland’s Turbo C compiler/interpreter is currently available for free download - after a brief registration form is completed. It is useful for compiling C programs to use with DOS and older versions of Windows, although the install process is a bit complex. The download size is only about one megabyte.

Because TurboC was originally sold on three 3.5″ 720K disks, the ZIP file is split into three directories - one for each disk. The easiest way to install it is to copy these directories to three disks, then install it from the disks. The Borland Turbo C 2.01 interface works in Windows XP, although it lacks mouse support. When tested, it also functioned well on an 8 MHz 286 with DOS 3.3.

Turbo C is compatible with the WATTCP library, which makes it useful for creating communications/internet programs. However, software it compiles will not work in Windows XP or Vista if there are any graphics. Overall, it is a good freeware program for learning about C, creating text-based software, or producing graphical programs for older computers.