You might also want to check out any surplus/junk stores in your area. I
saw a laser scanner that had been pulled from a checkout stand on sale for
$350 the other day. It had internal logic and a TTL out that sounds like
more then you need but you might try finding a hand held scanner like those
used in Retail Shops, I know somebody must have some of these things lying
around you could pull the parts and get  the laser out.
    I'm new to this list and to PIC's as well. So far I have been coding C
on Windows the problem with windows and C is how little of the hardware is
available to you. I am currently running as fast as I can away from the
Intel 8086 family of processor after I saw how ugly the design was but I
still want to get the power of an actual microdevice. I noticed that
everyone who was doing the things I wanted to do was using PIC's. Right now
I qualify as a clueless Newbie, I have the
book Programming and Customizing the PIC Microcontroller by Myke Predko and
am stumbling through that. Unfortunately it presumes that I have experience
with other micro controllers.  Does anyone on this list have any resources
they could share with me to help me learn this device?

    --Thanks Morgan

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