Tim,

 I used to work for TI.  The bottom line is they're trying to
 sell their wares.  One way to do this is to demonstrate them
 to people in the industry.  But their ultimate goal is profit.
 It makes little difference whether you'er 17 or 70, if they
 can possibly make a buck from you, that's good.  I'd say,
 'go for it'.  At 17, and considering a career in electronics,
 you're their future.  Why would they discourage their future?
 You may buy from them later on.  And also, if you have some
 experience using micros and such already, you'll be even more
 attractive to potential employers too.

                                         Regards,

                                           Jim

On Wed, 26 January 2000, Tim Hamel wrote:

>
> Hello all,
> I got a quick question for everyone...
>
> Texas Instruments is having a workshop showcasing their new MSP430 mcu in
> Porland, OR. For a low price of $49, their giving a hands-on demo their
> product, plus, "An MSP430 starter kit consisting of a demo board, the
> simulation environment, assembler, compiler and the MSP430 documentation is
> included in the workshop price."
>
> Now, I love embedded technology and microcontroller project development. I
> called Ti and asked if there were age restrictions -- they said no. Being
> that I'm 17, would it look weird or be out of place for me to sign up and
> attend? I think it would be a great opportunity to see what the embedded
> market is like, plus learn a bit along the way. I understand that this
> workshop is intended for engineers and such (I am considering a career in the
> field), but their not losing much and I'm gaining a lot.
>
> So, I appreciate your guys's thoughts on this as most of you ARE in this
> industry.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Tim Hamel

jim@jpes.com