(First post, congrats on maintaining one of the more mature forums in the series of pipes we call the internets. Though I guess thats not saying much...)

Im asking here because Ive asked the all-knowing-one (Google) and he hasnt been able to clarify it.

So Ive got a good deal of experience in non-software electronics (dont know what the word is), but Ive gotten a bit tripped up on starting with microcontrollers. There's just such an abundance of details (architecture, compatibility issues, software choices, etc.) that my 4000-series brain isnt used to. I bought a cheap JDM programmer (which recommended winpic8000 software) before I found out that virtually all the web tutorials are geared towards PICKit 2 programmers. And I only have experience with BASIC (on a TI-83!) and a bit of html, so I cant deduce an answer from previous knowledge. And my library doesnt have any microcontroller books (lots of Twilight books though...)

So the question is, can a JDM combined with freeware be used in the same way as a PICKit 2? If so, are there any (functionally) relevant differences? If not, why? I understand the PICKit 2 has an in-board PIC itself, but surely a computer could emulate the PICKit so that a simple JDM serial port connection and PICKit setup have indistinguishable outputs? I take it from what Ive read that it makes more sense to use a C-compiler than an assembler, any thoughts? JAL, Pascal, and Python have also been mentioned...

I have no difficulty with learning, but I need to know what the map looks like before I go on the road trip. Thanks for your time, I did try to figure it out on my own (and i did use the search engine) but its just not clicking. And its worth mentioning that Im dirt poor, so any new purchase needs to be really justifiable (like abacus vs. mathematica or flinstones car vs. ferrari).

Thanks!