Not sure if a one-size-programs-all programmer exists, but I bet it wouldn't 
be cheap.  "Diverse selection" will vary depending on what you want to 
program.  As a newbie to PICs, my recommendation would be to get an 
ultra-cheap reliable programmer -- which for me is the trusty ol' Tait 
classic programmer (parallel port).  Literally a few dollars, but you do put 
it together yourself, and very popular (ie: supported).  If you classify 
US$100-$150 as cheap, then the price of this would make it "disposable" :-)

I've got a board layout for this in Eagle if you want, and it's setup to use a 
simple jumper to select the type/class of chip to be programmed.

I program with Odyssey under Linux, or ICProg under Win2k.  When you figure 
out later what PICs you'll be using, you can look for a programmer that 
covers that set.

Cheers,
-Neil.



On Saturday 21 May 2005 12:46 am, Joseph Pantoga scribbled:
> I have recently gained an interest in PIC programming, and I was
> wondering if there was a cheap (under $100-150 US) PIC programmer that
> could program a diverse selection of microchips, but was supported
> often and had excellent support.  I am not looking for a kit, unless
> it comes from a trustworthy vendor.  I have seen a lot of programmers
> on the net, but many seem out of date (even the ones reccamended by
> the list) or they just dont have the capabilities to program many
> PIC's.  Does such a programmer exist in my price range?  I just want
> to get a product that I know will be worth the money I am spending for
> it.  Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
>
>                                Joseph


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