At 23:41 16/02/99 -0500, you wrote:
>I want to learn how to use microcontroller and just bought "Easy
>PIC'n" and "PIC'n up the PACE." Now I am considering to buy a
>progarmmer. Is the PICSTART Plus a good choice? Any suggestion is
>welcome.
>Thanks

The picstart plus is a good programmer to consider. It does all the pics, has
sensible socketing with all pics being top justified in the one socket and is
mplab compatible.

The down side is the cost and occasionally you hear of people having comms
problems with it. I don't think that is common though.

At the cheaper end there are a stack of firmwareless programmers known as
"Tait style" after their "Father" David Tait. The quality of these vary
and lack of *real* support can be a problem. Still many people cut their
teeth quite happily with them. Can't argue with that. The Web is full of these
designs. I should add, some of these are very well engineered and presented
(PROPIC II) but the cost puts you back in the same ball park as the picstart
plus IMHO.

For the best of both worlds consider looking at the stuff I'm doing. Follow
the URL in my sig below. Maybe I can help, maybe not.

Jim


________________________________________
Jim Robertson
Email: newfound@pipeline.com.au
http://www.pipeline.com.au/users/newfound
MPLAB compatible PIC programmers and firmware
upgrades for many programmers.
________________________________________