The BASIC Stamp is, at the heart, a Microcontroller With Interpreter software built in. These devices also come With additional support circuitry, such as an EEPROM, voltage regulator, ceramic oscillator, etc. BASIC Stamps are ideal for beginners because they are easy to program, quite powerful, and relatively cheap-a whole startup package costs around $150 dollars or so. These devices are also very popular among inventors and hobbyist, and you'll find a lot of helpful literature, application notes, and fully tested projects on the Internet.