Despite the fact that there are plenty of free languages and development tools available online, there is still a much larger barrier to entry for someone who wants to get started as a programmer compared to nearly 30 years ago. I have fond memories of the computing of the 80s so I thought I’d take a quick trip down memory lane and write about my personal exerience of becoming a programmer. It may also be of interest to those familiar only with the Silicon Valley version of the history of computing since this covers events from the other side of the pond in the UK. When historians talk about the history of computing, they really only cover things like the TRS80, Altair and rise of the PC and Mac, yet there were many important and competitive developments in Europe that are often not included as part of this history.

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