arduino

[Andre Kesteloot]

On 3/21/2013 11:00 AM, Rob Seastrom wrote:
> With all due respect to the folks who say "$PLATFORM is better than
> Arduino, you should skip the arduino and buy X or Y", you're rather
> missing the point.
>
>

There are (at least) two different types of technical discussions, both 
of which are to be encouraged on this reflector:
a) those that apply to highly-technical people  such as Alberto, and the 
likes of Terry Fox, etc , and
b) those that interest the average ham, dipping a cautious foot in the 
cold waters of small platforms (a rather mixed metaphor :-).

For those beginners, it would be better if they were able to start 
something, anything, and get it to work, thereby deriving a feeling of 
success over the Great Unknown, (microprocessors), etc.
It can be discouraging / disheartening for those beginners to learn, as 
they are about to take the big step to get involved with 
microprocessors,  that there is a better, faster, etc A/D  (Note: there 
is always a better A/D, just around the corner).

My belief is that the second types, the Beginners, should be encouraged 
to use the simplest platform available that will deliver reliable results.
In that sense, the Arduino, with it simple interface, C language 
coding,  free-of-charge software and a USB cable, could hardly be simpler.
It encourages experimentation, and leads to fast  --and thus 
encouraging--   results for the newbie.

My  $0.05 :-)

73
André N4ICK