The ZIF socket is an option because of its high cost. If you can wait a couple of weeks I'll have a new kit called Junebug available. It's compatible with Firefly and all the other blueroomelectronics kits; but includes an 18F1320 version of Fireflys Tutor on the same board as a USB PICkit 2 SE (5V only) compatible programmer / debugger.
The Junebug has everything you'd need for the midrange 10F thru 18F PICs. Unless you're debugging 30F series PICs the Junebug functions very much like the Inchworm with the Unicorn USB upgrade.
It's both MPLAB 7.62 and PICkit 2 software compatible, the PICkit 2 software is programmer only (PIC autodetection is cool) and supports many Microchip EEPROMs too, there is also a TTL level UART terminal that's very handy.
This is also the first blueroomelectronics kit to officially support the LAB-EASY prototyping system. LAB-EASY is a new advanced modular breadboarding system developed by my friend Eric Chan, I'll post more info on Erics LAB-EASY product line in the following weeks.
Best of all we're hoping to get the complete kit price around $45.
**broken link removed**