6502 Assembly: A Surprisingly Good Starting Point for Learning Assembly?

Choosing a starting point for learning assembly language can be daunting. This article argues that the 6502 processor is surprisingly well-suited for beginners. While not widely used in modern applications, its simple instruction set (only 56 instructions) and abundance of learning resources make it ideal for grasping fundamental assembly concepts. Its history in classic computers like the Apple II and Commodore 64 provides a wealth of emulators and learning materials. The author recommends Easy 6502 and Visual6502.org as excellent learning resources, comparing it to the complexities of architectures like x86-64 and ARM, further highlighting the 6502's advantages for beginners.