So many option but little understanding

[mackrackit]

How do you like the in-circuit debugging features of the PicKit2?

Embarrassed to say that I have not used that feature.
What do you think about it?

[rmteo]

I checked out the PicKit2's debugging capabilities using MPLAB (not sure if there is a way to do it without MPLAB) and I am not impressed. Not so much with the PicKit2 (it is an excellent device programmer, as good as, if not better than anything else on the market - especially considering its price) but with MPLAB. What a mess compared to some of the other development platforms that I use.

[mackrackit]

At one time I was a fan of MPLAB, now I only use it to read HEX files when someone has a problem.

MCS is OK for quick and dirty stuff, IMHO.

Development platform.. When I am working on a "complicated" project I do it on a Linux box using gedit and BAT files to invoke PBP/MPASM.

But back to the question about programmers. I use the PicKit2 on all platforms.