"Gamemaker" is what got me in to programming. It's a game creation tool (for windows only unfortunately) which is perfect for introducing someone to and sparking their interest in programming. I think i was actually about 14 when i started using it. It lets you create simpler games with no knowledge of code (just drag and drop action blocks in to events) and so it gives a very high ratio of "satisfaction from cool end results":"effort put in to learn skills".

Soon however you find your creativity in game design held back by the drag and drop tools and you start dragging in "code blocks" which is the gateway in to real programming. It uses a nice high level interpreted language which is... well very forgiving. Again you get maximum reward in terms of cool end results for the work you put in to learn the skills.

Then after a year or so you realise the limitations of the environment you've spent so long learning and you move on to grown up languages and you despair at how much effort is required just to get an empty window to display, but you soldier on....

Well... that's my story

i have the same netbook, and it's currently my only operational machine... so i'd be very appreciative if you could tell me how to get the touchpad to behave, and also how to stop the screen tearing (it's the same with and without compiz).

great little machine tho! perfect for taking notes at lectures.

doesn't windows have an equivalent of wget?

oh is that behaviour due to this bug???? because that was happening on my dad's ubuntu computer

hehehehehe that comment has made me laugh more than any comment i've read on slashdot. kudos!