I, too, received a free USB programmer from Olin. Unfortunately, it took me until the end of this past week to "play" with it. It took me about 20 minutes to repair it (the broken-off electrolytic was included in the package). Viola! A very nice, working USB programmer!! It MUST be stressed, however, that this cost Olin more than just time!! My package arrived in a sturdy shipping box and properly packed! All I had to do was send him a PDF of the shipping label. He had the cost of the box, packing material, and time to print out and affix the label, pack the box and deliver to the Post Office. He also had the residual cost of the damaged board, which he COULD have sold for a few bucks and still had happy campers! I was impressed! He could have just thrown the board in a padded envelope, slapped on a label, and be done with it. The box and packing made it pretty near "USPS Proof"! As it was, I received an easily repaired programmer instead of an envelope full of a trashed circuit board. Personally, I thought the instructions were clear and easily followed. Didn't see a problem. Remember the "golden rule" - "He who has the gold makes the rules". It was Olin's gold, so if you don't like the rules, don't play! Just my two cents worth. Dennis -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist