As a professional computer software developer, I can tell you that some of the greatest programmers start with the simplest of hardware and the most fervent determination. Mastering a small computer system (such as the Texas Instruments graphing calculator) not only feels fantastic, but also teaches core programming concepts and solidifies ways of thinking that mediocre programmers seldom grasp. I have been in the TI graphing calculator community for well over a decade, as has Christopher (known among us as “Kerm Martian”). Throughout that time we have watched each other’s humble beginnings, been amazed as our successful (and at times overly ambitious) projects flourished, and even watched others.
