When I was home-brewing computers about 20 years ago the modern components of the time were reasonably easy to obtain reasonably stable for wire-wrap easy to solder - or use in sockets adequately documented (usually :-) if programmable could be DIY programmed rather than needing an expensive box and almost everything worked from a simple 5v supply Nowadays You typically have to deal with distributors - little problem for the experienced, but an obstacle to newcomers The edge speed of modern logic is so high that WW is unlikely to work In fact even PCBs now need designing using UHF techniques for the same reason SMT devices - and almost everything nowadays is only available as such - are best handled with an expensive soldering station (and BGA devices need even more expensive equiment). Documentation - though nowadays typically easier to obtain - is often oversimplified. Programming devices often needs (one or both of) expensive hardware or extremely expensive software. I stand by the "almost impossible" statement above. The one main exception to this black picture is the single-chip flash micro - such as the PIC family or the 8051 derivatives. But working with these is more like computer programming than hardware design. Which is why I use terms like "almost impossible" and "few" rather than absolute statements. Andy

Allison wrote: Open any GSM phone and look at the components.... There is NO WAY a hobbyist (not even Tony ( sorry chap !)) will be able to handle 200-300 pin BGA packages, with 0.8 or even 0.5mm pitch. Granted, not all equipment is build that way, but I am rather pessimistic about the future of electronics as a hobby. I also believe the rise in interest in classic computing is due to the fact that you can tinker with the old machines... Regards , Jos