I was first exposed to microcontrollers when I learned about the Microchip 16x84 [1] in the mid-nineties.<p>As a 20-something CS M.Sc student with a software background it was really opening up the world of electronics in a great way. What a product.<p>[1]: <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIC16x84" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIC16x84</a>
I submitted a fascinating blog post featuring this same era of calculator chips but related to the first Mattel handheld electronic games<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34259747" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34259747</a>