Perfect Programming PDA/Palmtop/Calc

[Chasfield]

I have messed around with all sorts of programmable portable devices. Older ones - like the Psion Organiser 2 - present you with the problem of inconvenient connectivity, though I remember that the OPL language was easy to get into and you can pick up a Psion for very little money.

Language wise, for a long time I had a sort of C phobia, working mostly with Borland Delphi, and prior to that Turbo Pascal. Then I got into Arduino and actually found the transition straightforward. My Arduino C listings tend to have a Pascal look and feel but I get by.

The good things about Arduino:

Simple USB connectivity
Cheap hardware - Arduino Uno for 10 dollars, LCD display for similar amount
Free IDE, with loads of code libraries support forums, etc.
The C programming skills acquired are transferable to hundreds of other systems/scenarios (micro controller programmers make the world go around)

The only drawback is that you have to build your own portable gizmos - but that is also a good thing for an aspiring computer scientist to do.

My other low cost suggestion is to buy an old Texas TI57/58/59 programmable calculator. This would definitely widen you coding experience in the direction of quasi-assembly language. The manuals for these calculators are very good for learners. Getting a TI 5x up and running will almost certainly involve some kind of rechargeable battery transplant and you have to be sure that the one you buy hasn't been trashed by battery leakage.