>What programmer out there is the best for keeping pace with the new PIC
>chips and is reliable on any PC.

You may have seen some comments regarding the free programmers out there and
how there are at least some restrictions on their usage, as well as their
limitations to certain PIC families.  If you are looking for programmers to
use with "new PICs" then I would suggest sticking with Microchip's line of
programmers.  Sure, they might cost a little more, but they are almost
certainly sure to be able to handle anything that Microchip comes up with in
the future.  They often offer upgrade firmware to accomodate new families,
etc.

I have the PicStart Plus, which I purchased a few years ago for $200.  It
may sound expensive, but I've seen a number of problems that crop up with
people using other third-party or self-made programmers.  For hobby work,
these might be fine.  I tend not to want to worry about whether or not the
programmer itself is causing problems with my program.  In other words, I
would rather not debug the programmer if problems with my PIC occur.

For more serious development, you might want to use Microchip's "better"
programmer, the Pro Mate, but it is significantly more expensive than the
PicStart.

Check Microchip's website for details on their programmers.  I can't
recommend any others at this point.

--Andrew
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