I started with a PIC16f690 on a breadboard, it is cheap, has a nice
set of peripherals (USART, ADC etc.), needs no external clock etc. But
then I had a background in Microprocessors (6800 family from way back)
and a working knowledge of assembler.

If you are just starting and are not sure of assembler and/or
electronics I would suggest the ChipKit boards (PIC32MX based)
http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Catalog.cfm?NavPath=3D2,892&Cat=3D18 ,
no need to buy a programmer, comes with examples, and a C++ compiler.

If you want middle of the road and more lights and switches on a board
the the Explorer board with PICKit3, but it is more expensive and  a
steeper learning curve to get your first project off the ground.

Cheers
Chris
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