> 
> And you are right about everything you say. I2C is great (TWI is old 
> Atmel's term). Python is popular (but Python used a tk GUI binding. And 
> tcl will nicely connect to an Arduino Uno R3 /dev/ttyACMX, and even run 
> "firmata."). So as you say you can have a marvelous smart terminal with 
> all these microcontrollers, but sometimes you still need to wire your 
> smart terminal to a serious linux box.
>

You seem to know more about this than I do. My serial port programming is very
limited, precisely because we entered the era of the internet and everything
is "simpler" now.

My microconrtoller experience is limited to the Propeller Parallax chip, and
I really like it. But you cannot beat a $40 full-blown Linux "desktop" like
the Ras Pi. Blows my mind; you can fit one in your pocket and THERE is your
portable computer.