I agree, the Pickit2 is great! I too debated getting one before I bought it. I had a few intermittent problems with the JDM programmers, so I decided to get it. I would recommend getting the original PicKit2, not a clone, if you plan on doing anything with RS232. The Pickit2 has a built in TTL level RS232 interface for testing, and it has been so useful for me. The other nice thing is if you get the kit that comes with the low pin count board, it comes with a 16f690 chip to start programming on, and there are LEDs on the board that you can light up for testing.