What the Raspberry-Pi needs is BBC Basic

It's great to see that the Raspberry-Pi is near launch and that the price is very affordable. I'm going to have to get one. I'll be getting a Model B to match the BBC Micro I still have.

I got into computing in 1977 when I was and used a Commodore PET 2001 for the first time. Here was a computer I could touch both physically and programmatically. With the PET's built in BASIC my young mind got instant gratification and was hooked.

I think the Paspberry-Pi needs something like BBC Basic from day one.

No one expects children learning art to start with a block of marble and a hammer - finger painting is what get's them hooked.

I'm not claiming that BBC Basic is the best language but it does enable instant programming gratification which is what I think hooks young minds. Once they're hooked they can move on to other languages as necessary.

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