[sdiy] WHICH PIC/UCONTROLLER should I buy today

[dan snazelle]

what are the main differences between a PIC and a DSPIC?

the options are a bit dizzying. my arduino dev board arrived today and I think I would still like to get a PIC and a DSPIC and a programmer. 

people have given some good recommendations on which chips to use.

however, I wonder how hard they are to jump into. the PIC/DSPIC family, what language is it based around?

Is it possible to jump into DSPIC's without any prior experience?

the FV-1 from spin is relatively easy and has good support, is the same true of the PIC/DSPIC community?


thanks!