>If Microchip is listening to this:  You really ought to get students to these
>seminars.  They're cheap enough to afford the cost and (in my experience)
>the chips that students learn with while in school are typically the ones
>the use when the get jobs.  I'm a perfect example: I use PC's everywhere; I
>know Intel assembly language better than English, but a Ga. Tech we used
>only Motorola controllers because they donated lots of workstations/emulators
>and such.  For embedded systems I only use Motorola (HC11 and HC16).  Had
>Intel given Tech 8051's and/or x86's I would probably be designing with them
>exclusively.
>
>
>-tim
>
Tim, I agree with you completely on this.  I am a senior in electrical
engineering at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and am using a
PIC16C65 for our project.  I had the chance during a summer internship to
learn to use this family of controllers, and the awesome PICMaster emulator.

Within 3 months I was very proficient in programming and debuging my software
using the tools Microchip has made.  After this experience, I wanted to
use a PIC controller in every project I was going to do in school, just
because of the ease of programming, features in the chips themselves, and
the low cost programmers available.

SIU students used to use primarily Intel processors for projects, but now with
the widespread use of the PIC, there have been several groups using Microchip
chips, including 3 groups this semester.

I wish that I could attend a seminar, but until I start getting paid for my
work, Instead me of paying someone else so I can do my work, I don't think I
will be able to go.  Also, I hope that in the future, Microchip may start some
programs with schools to introduce their chips into the lives of "green"
engineering students, who don't have much real-life experience.  And
possibly in offering discounted PICMaster emulators, or donating emulators
to schools to use.

With my early experience with the PICs, I am much more biased to use them
for as many projects as possible.  Microchip has a wonderful opportunity to
grab their share of the market, even before students get their first job.
I would like to see it happen.

Steve

--
Steve Budde
e-mail: sbudde@siu.edu
WWW:    http://www.silug.org/~budde
        http://www.prairienet.org/~sbudde

We have phone numbers already, why would we need IP-numbers! -unknown person