> Personally, I'd go with Linux and GNU C.  With a modern installation like
> RH or Mandrake or something similar, the learning curve is pretty easy to
> deal with

I second this motion.  ;-)  If your wishing to learn C and want to do it as
cheaply as possible, this is the way to go.  IMHO, Linux is the best "C
developer kit" available, and it's free.  There is so much material packed
into an average distro, that you could spend the rest of your life checking
it all out.  You may as well become familiar with the *nix environment, as
it's popping up all over the place in embedded devices.  *nix and C
(strictly speaking, really the library) are intertwined so they each will
help you to understand the other better.

BTW, since I haven't seen anyone else say it yet, the FIRST book you need to
get is "The C Programming Language" by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie
(actually the title is in all caps, but I didn't want to appear rude ;-).
Get the second edition, as it's the ANSI definition.  Since they invented
the language, I tend to favor their description of it.  This book is the
datasheet of the C language.  It's clear, concise, accurate, and "chock"
full of useful code examples (such as how to use B trees and linked lists
efficiently).  If you are very unfamiliar with C, you may wish to try and
find another book to help you get started.  But this book will become the
one that you will never tire of or dispose.

michael

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