It is still around if you look, new Single Board Computers, dev boards, kits for 'retro' computers. It's still just as big as it ever was, the difference is the

It is still around if you look, new Single Board Computers, dev boards, kits for 'retro' computers. It's still just as big as it ever was, the difference is the mainstream is WAY bigger, just like Apple and Microsoft has sabotaged DIY and left that behind and makes money on hiding the DIY behind their convenience gardens. Check out adafruit or digikey or element14 or keysight or any of the gamejams and hackathons. Makerspaces. PICO-8. Circuit Cellar, Nuts & Volts magazines. It was a HOBBY back then, and the hobby still exists just like there are ham radio clubs, but the industry it spawned has largely overshadowed it. Life is what you make of it, put in the effort if you really miss it, you'll find good company!