Can't beat Alice's shopping list, but I would add Peter Anderson's
Logic Probe/Pulse Generator for $5.  You can get many of your parts
from him also.
    http://www.phanderson.com/ordering.html

Good luck and have fun,
 - Nick -

Alice Campbell wrote:
>
> Subject:                Re: Questions from a beginner...
> Date sent:              Fri, 10 Dec 1999 09:38:39 -8, PST
>
> Challenge:  can anyone do this cheaper than me?
>
> Shopping list for absolute minimal beginner entry--many
> substitutions are of course possible:
>
> Computer:  old computer running DOS-- even old 8086 compaq
> portable running off 2 floppies with no hard drive will actually work.
> About 10 floppies.   Cost: $150 for new power supply.  Copy of Dos
> Edit.com--free.
>
> book: easy pic'n.  Has general blinkie circuit.  Essential.  Cost:
> about $20
>
> Programmer: David Tait's serial port programmer using the in-circuit
> version.  The documentation whole thing is available as a download
> from many places, Don McKenzies site is one, but there are others.
> Cost $0
>
> Parts:
> Wire:  haunt the people who install phone systems, and beg them
> for a handful of multicolored phone wire.  Cost:  $0 cash, some
> loss of dignity.  Radioshack wants too much for wire.
>
> solderless breadboard-get the bigger one.  you will need it.
> Cost:  $7
> Wall wart:  radioshack has one that has 12volts down to 3 volts
> with a switch.  Cost:  about $5.  Make sure its 12 volts.
>
>   10-10K resistors. 10-leds, get the mixed bag.  2 momentary
> contact micro push switches in a bag, one red, one black.  10-120
> ohm resistors.  1-4-Mhz crystal.  2 33pf capacitors.  1-1Megohm
> resistor. 2-22K resistors. 1 2.2K resistor.  1 good machined pin 18
> pin socket for the pic.  1 piezo buzzer (substitutes for
> oscilloscope).  3 0.1uf capacitors.
> 7805 voltage regulator (not a 78L05, get the big one).  One solder-
> cup female db-9 connector or db-25 depending on serial port of
> computer, used to make a four-wire cable as per the Tait directions
> that goes right to the breadboard.  and finally, one or two pic16f84
> chips.  Cost:  about $25
>
> wire cutters, needle nose pliers, tweezers. soldering iron &
> electronic solder.--cost:$0 ( stuff is already around the house)
>
> The 1-meg resistor sticks up from the ground bus and you touch
> the end for luck before messing with the circuit.
> Finally:  the most valuable of all:  the piclist.
>
> total:  $ $57 in parts and about $150 to fix up the computer. advice
> from piclist is beyond price but i dont know how to put a value on
> the inestimable.
>
> good luck
>
> alice
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > It appears an application I wish to design would best be done with some kind
 of
> > PIC.  I have absolutely ZERO experience with such, however, and would GREATL
Y
> > appreciate your advice on a couple of questions:
> >
> >  1) Price: Right now, things are a bit tight, so I need to know the least
> >     costly entre into PICdom.  This includes everything that would be necess
ary
> >     to get me started: the chip itself, support hardware, programming hardwa
re,
> >     and programming software.  I have Linux, DOS, and Win95 at home, so anyt
hing
> >     to reduce cost by using a PC would help.
> >
> >  2) Selection: How do I choose from the wide variety out there, from MicroCh
ip
> >     PICs, to Parallax Basic Stamps, to who knows what else?  Keeping cost in
> >     mind, and knowing that I am just a beginner who's not trying to make an
> >     application to control every last Christmas tree bulb in Boise (or, for
that
> >     matter any Christmas lights), how do I determine the proper PIC to use?
> >
> >  3) General advice: Any other advice for a newcomer to this stuff?
> >
> >
> > aTdHvAaNnKcSe (Thanks in advance).
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________________
> > Get your own "800" number - Free
> > Free voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more
> > http://www.ureach.com
>
> ------- End of forwarded message -------