> Looking at the big picture, if you are doing one-ofs, the basic-
> stamp seems an example of success for what you refer to

The PICAXE is another option

http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/

AFAICT it has an interpreter in ROM and your code goes
into the EEPROM

http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/start.htm

PICAXE Commands (valid all sizes):

Output  high, low, toggle, pulsout, let pins =  
Sound  sound  
Input  if...then, readadc, pulsin, button  
Serial  serin, serout  
Program Flow  goto, gosub, return, branch  
Loops  for...next  
Mathematics  let (+, -, *, **, /, //, max, min, &, |, ^, &/, |/, ^/ )  
Variables  if...then, random, lookdown, lookup  
Data memory  eeprom, write, read  
Delays  pause, wait, nap, sleep, end  
Miscellaneous  symbol, debug  
 
PICAXE-08/08M Specific Commands: 
 
I/O Config.  input, output, reverse, let dirs =  
PWM  pwm, pwmout  
Music  play, tune (08M only)  
RAM  peek, poke (08M only)  
Servo Control  servo (08M only)  
Infrared  infrain (08M only)  
Interrupt  setint (08M only)  
Temperature  readtemp (08M only)  
1-wire Serial No  readowsn (08M only)  
ADC  readadc10 (08M only)  
Clock  setfreq (08M only)  
 
PICAXE-18/18A/18X Specific Commands:

RAM  peek, poke  
Servo Control  servo (18A / 18X only)  
Infrared  infrain (18A / 18X only)  
Interrupt  setint (18A / 18X only)  
Temperature  readtemp (18A / 18X only)  
1-wire Serial No  readowsn (18A / 18X only)  
1-wire Clock  readowclk, resetowclk (18A only)  
Keyboard  keyin, keyled (18A / 18X only)  
I2C  readi2c, writei2c, i2cslave (18X only)  
PWM  pwmout (18X only)  
ADC  readadc10 (18X only)  
Clock  setfreq (18X only)  
 
PICAXE-28/28A/28X (40X) Specific Commands:

RAM  peek, poke  
Servo Control  servo  
Infrared  infrain  
Count pulse  count (28X only)  
Interrupt  setint (28A / 28X only)  
Temperature  readtemp (28A / 28X only)  
1-wire Serial No  readowsn (28X only)  
1-wire Clock  readowclk, resetowclk (28X only)  
Keyboard  keyin, keyled (28X only)  
I2C  readi2c, writei2c, i2cslave (28X only)  
PWM  pwmout (28X only)  
ADC  readadc10 (28X only)  


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