The PICSTART PLUS is a good programmer, It can even be used for ICSP but is not designed for that. As far as programming the 18Fs... About two years ago I was playing with the 18F4320 for the first time, I did not have a PICKIT 2 yet just the PIC START. Putting the 18F in the zif of the PIC START would some times program and sometimes not . Microchip people said I needed to upgrade the PIC START. I bought the upgrade (new chip for inside the PICSTART) and still had the same problem. MICROCHIP then said I needed to add capacitors across the VDD and VSS pins of the chip while it is in the ziff. YEAH RIGHT AS I ONLY HAVE TWO HANDS! That is when I started using the PICSTART as a ICSP. I had to take time to make a few adapters for different chips.

Then I bought a PICKIT2. Came with the six pin header skimask told you about. Plug the header into the breadboard, ran five wires on the board for VSS, VDD, MCLR, and the two going to the programing pins of the chip. Plug the PICKIT2 into the header and it worked. I did not have to modify it at all.

Now all I have to do is add a cheap 6 pin header to my designs and it it ready to program on the fly. I am paying $0.25 USD for these.

That all is not to mention the price difference. The only reason I have a PICSTART PLUS is because the PICKIT2 was not made when I bought it.

That is why I recommend the PICKIT2.