Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course it made a difference. We only got to buy the compilers that were available on the computer local store, not always 100% original or find some magazine and order international via post. BBS access was only available to a few fortunate capable of paying the high connection rates and the modem in first place. We got to do with what was available to us and could afford to pay. Some of my first Assemblers were t…
It would help if you gave a hint on which technological backwater you are describing. It wasn't any harder to buy stuff in Western Europe in the early 80s than it was in the US.
Average salary would be around 300 euros when converted for today's currency
We had just gotten out of a dictatorship.