>> 1.  A C to PIC compiler
>> 2.  A programmer suitable for use with a wide range of
>> flash PICs.  I'm partial to USB but it isn't really
>> necessary.  I think Parallel bites & would like to avoid
>> it.
>> 3.  A PIC simulator
>> I'd love to be able to do in-circuit debugging but I guess
>> it's really not necessary unless there is some consensus
>> that it is.
>> This is just hobby stuff & I /am/ on a budget - I can't be
>> blowing a thousand bucks on all this stuff.

While you spend time learning and getting your feet wet you don't need a
whole lot of the things you mention. A C compiler should be something you
get after you learn how to use PICs.

You don't need to be able to program a whole lot of different PICs to
learn about them. My favorite setup for playing around uses a 16F876 and a
serial bootloader. You only need to program the chip once, who cares if
"parallel bites" if you only do it once, borrow a computer with a parallel
port if you need to.

Anyway, once you learn how to blink an LED then you can take what you've
learned and make an informed decision, rather than investing money in
somebody elses suggestion.

Just my .02

Cheers,

Bob

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