Re: Computing Editorial (please read)

[Eric Smith <eric-no-spam-for-me@brouhaha.com>]

Lee Hart <leeahart@earthlink.net> writes:
> This was true for some of them, but not all. The RCA VIP (of which I
> spoke earlier), Netronics and Quest ELF, Vic 20, Commodore 64, Atari 400
> and 800, Sinclair ZX80, Apple II, and many other classic computers were
> *not* targeted at professionals. They were explicitly designed, built,
> documented, and marketed for by beginners and hobbyists.  

You weren't asking about computers, you were asking about MCUs.  Those
computers were based on the 1802, 6502, and Z-80 microprocessors, which
were chips designed by professionals for use in product design by
other professionals.  They didn't intend a novice to buy the chip and do
anything with it.  They didn't try to prevent you from doing it, but they
didn't particularly help with it either.

I stand by my statement that commercial MCUs have *always* been designed
for professionals, not by amateurs.