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Dr. Brin:
If you have not actually tried Python (and it sounds like you haven't) I strongly urge you to try it out. The Python console is the closest thing you'll get these days to the way the Apple II or the Commodore 64 worked. And as pointed out elsewhere, Python even comes pre-installed in Mac OS X. Take the half-hour it takes to work through the introductory tutorial. You won't regret it.