> Well you still need a programmer

unless you buy a chip pre-programmed with a bootloader

> they release any ports they were using when they're done

only a sissy bootloader needs ports or pins :)

> In this setup, I don't need to move or touch anything
> physical (other than
> my reset switch on MCLR) to test new code.

Why use a reset switch when you have handshake lines?

IMHO a good bootloader (or ICSP programmer) allows you to run your new
application without touching the target hardware at all.

Wouter van Ooijen

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Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: www.voti.nl
consultancy, development, PICmicro products

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