TempleOS deserves a mention here. It boots up into a simple system with a C-like language featured front and center. It makes it easy to write small programs

TempleOS deserves a mention here. It boots up into a simple system with a C-like language featured front and center. It makes it easy to write small programs with simple graphics. It feels like the Apple IIe and GW-BASIC systems that I cut my teeth on, but with more features (Simple windowing TUI, good editor, extensive help system, many examples) and high performance (compiled code running on modern x86 hardware). I don't know if I'd give to a kid as their only computer (For better or worse, there's no networking, and I wish it had high res graphics modes and a little more polish), but it's a really cool environment for a curious young mind to explore. https://templeos.org/ https://templeos.org/