I'm new to programming (did a little bit of BASIC on Commodores and Ataris in the 1980s) and want to learn to write programs that will run in the Windows environment. What I to do at first is make a program which will decode DTMF strings generated by Industrial Alert Siren sites (big sirens on telephone poles at remote locations) of which there are 11. They generate reports, when interrogated by radio, which consist of dtmf strings about 12 characters as to their identity, AC power status and cabnet intrusion etc. I wish the program to display these reports on the screen based on the decoded DTMFs. I also wish to do many other projects but need to settle on a language to learn. What I'm looking for is a versatile language with a easy learning curve and minimum cost as far as development tools and tutorials. Any Suggestions?