[cmrdporcupine]

I think you're missing the point of my argument. I was complaining that the ST and Amiga did not ship as easily programmable, nuts-and-bolts-visible, platforms like the C64 and Apple II etc. did. I too learned a lot on my VIC-20. But when I got my Atari ST I had to wait a while til I got a compiler (Personal Pascal and then later GFA BASIC and Modula-2) so I could do anything interesting with it.

As for 6502 being an evolutionary dead end -- it's still being made, and still being used in actual products. You'd be surprised what still has a 6502 or 6502-based core in it. It is a wonderful chip - simple easy to learn ISA, absolutely stellar interrupt responsiveness, and easy to interface.