ever so slightly off topic, but not exactly. I think things are about to change with pics and arduino. Dont ask me exactly why, I think the pic is going to get more like the Arduino.
I tried to download mplab 8, I did eventually get it, but it was hard to find, I then tried to get the student or demo version of C18, I couldnt get it, the closest I got was a package to upgrade from a full previous version.
So I decided ok its time to give in and go the mplabx route, installed it and installed xc8.
When you read the datasheet of some/most the newer pic 18's it says they are optomised for C. It boats that they have an extended instruction set.
Does it not bother anyone else that the path microchip now forces you down, is mplabx and xc8?? because with those tools you have to check a little box that TURNS OFF the extended instruction set!
So apparently there flagship dev tools no longer support the extended and optomized bits of the chips.
Also they are coming out with more and more arduino like boards!!
One other thing, in trying to learn MPLABX i loaded the demo C template, I liked it in places, some of the wording confused me a little but thats ok. I thought ok I can live with this, so I better use the little button that says rename project, that way I get to keep the blank one. Guess what, the whole thing crashed and wouldnt rename it!
So I am now sitting here with one the new Geko 8051 boards, its taken me 2 days, to go from zero to getting it to do useful stuff, its been painless, its all worked as per the instructions and its all in C.
I havnt looked at the data sheet, I dont have to, in the IDE you can bring up a page that tells you what reg's are on which pin and what they do, all in plain english!
Suddenly I am no longer a fan of pics like I was, I think there new way of doing things will cost them dear