Part of the charm of Smalltalk (or, more objectively, the uniqueness in a Perlis-language sense) is its image-based nature. Smalltalk is the image. A Smalltal

Part of the charm of Smalltalk (or, more objectively, the uniqueness in a Perlis-language sense) is its image-based nature. Smalltalk is the image. A Smalltalk IDE is unlike any other. The integration of language and 'operating system' changes the way you look at most other languages; it's not just an OO thing. You lose all that if you go running to the familiar, comfortable 'standard' of a text editor. Personally, I'd suggest Pharo Smalltalk as an ideal starting point: it's clean, modern and under vigorous development, with a thriving community. Also, I strongly disagree with 'unwieldy class libraries' - I've found the libraries a joy to use. Clear, logical, and very easy to explore even without reams of documentation.