For me the interest in retro computing is that the computer is so much simpler that it is indeed possible to understand. The set of assembly instructions is sm

For me the interest in retro computing is that the computer is so much simpler that it is indeed possible to understand. The set of assembly instructions is small enough that a person can understand every opcode fairly easily, the amount of memory is limited, and the list of things that that your installed ROM can do is relatively accessible. Contrast that to modern machines and operating systems, and no mere mortal can understand everything that is happening in the machine. Another thing to love about retro computers is how transferrable the knowledge is to modern machines. Once you know the essence of assembly language on a retro computer, you have a good basis for learning RISC-V or something else modern. Depending on where your son is at, he might enjoy this video where I explain the essence of assembly language-- it's the video I wished someone had shown to me when I was a kid and thought I wasn't smart enough to learn it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7gcyrbutA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7gcyrbutA