Well, semantics can certainly be a slippery slope to disagreements. And we're getting off topic, but...
I'll admit that a microcontroller, as generally defined, is considered a
single chip device around which a
computer may be deveoped.
But a blanket comment that the "Arduino itself is designed for somebody who is
not interested in programming.. ..." (my emphasis) certainly leaves me with the impression that you consider that the process whereby lines of code I (or any user) have to create, and is then processed and finally uploaded to an Arduino (in order for it to perform a task) is not a "program" (Arduino's use of the term "sketch" notwithstanding).
In short, I write it, it is then compiled and sent to the microcontroller with, of course, sometimes amusing results
. That, to me, is the essence of a programming.
So I ask; At what level or in what manner, in your opinion, do the actions described in the sentence above become programming? This is in the arena of semantics I referred to previously.
Lastly,
misterT said:
... I would not recommend the Arduino IDE for somebody who is willing to learn something.
Noted, but I feel obligated to point out that I am using the Arduino IDE and, interestingly, I am learning something... most notably, the efficacy of its syntax error catcher; it will let me upload ineffectual code, even bewildering behavior code but thus far, never trash code.