[ams6110]

It used to be so easy:

a) Buy a C-64, TI-99/4A, TRS-80, etc.

b) Turn it on

c) start programming.

[Groxx]

Now it's:

a) Buy a Raspberry Pi ($25 vs $hundreds (converted to today) when those were released)

b) Turn it on

c) Start programming (since it starts up into a programming environment of some kind, IIRC)

If anything it's easier now, and much much much more available to people who don't have $1400 to drop on the new C64 hotness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64