"I'm nostalgic for the old 8-bit BASIC too, but primarily because you could switch the thing on and the interpreter was in ROM and ready to go a few seconds after powering on."

The immediacy is something lacking in current IDEs and ease of start. Turn on, type, and something happens.

I'm still hopeful I'll see an under $200 programmable computing device sold somewhere. Perhaps if OLPC is actually serious about selling at Walmart[1], it will happen.

1) http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/olpc-xo-tablet-walmart/