Hi Olin, I agree with your comments (apart from the one
about 8 pin, they certainly have a place and are cheap),
although I was careful to preface my suggestions with "what
you can get"

As I've mentioned before, even here in NZ, an apparently
technologically advanced country, there are many PICs, some
of them "entry level" like the 18F1220/1320, that cannot be
bought, even from the official MC reps, at less than indent
quantities. Often this is at least $300 worth, so there are some
PICs I'll probably never work with

For starting off, considering the hours that will have to be put
in just to get up to speed with PIC programming and comparing
that to the cost of a PIC (even the sometimes outrageous price
at some of the following), the most convenient place for Shay to
shop might Digikey/Mouser/RS

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