Since you’re reading this post, it’s a reasonable bet that you have at least some basic programming skills, perhaps in Python, various flavors of C, or a wide variety of other languages available today. Something a lot of programmers don’t delve into is what’s behind those programming languages. Beyond this high-level framework, what’s going on at the processor and memory level? Given the complexity of modern computers, it’s entirely understandable—likely even necessary—that we can’t be experts in every aspect of this vast subject. But it’s good to know a little bit about it.
If you would like to get more familiar with the basics, this simulated 4-bit microcomputer lets you program in machine language with a hexadecimal keypad, LCD display, and a speaker. In the video below, the device’s creator shows how to add 2+5 using BASIC, a single line of code. He then notes how to do this same operation on this trainer. Instead of a single line of code, it actually requires 8 instructions to deal with the CPU, accumulator, and actually displaying results on the LCD screen. The idea behind going through this process is that as you learn the basics, modern software concepts like pointers and references will be easier to understand.
Beyond learning, the product listing notes that most sales of this item have been to older computer programmers who appreciate the nostalgia of the device. Like Raspberry Pi retro gaming, a once-large computing system shrunk into something handheld has to be fun for those who originally used them!
