Hi Tyler
If you realy want to learn I suggest the following:
1. Dont buy development board or programmer, build them yourself. Buy standard atmel 82S53 chip and build the simple STK200 ISP, which can be found at www.ic-prog.com, there is alot of free programmer software, IC-PROG (it didnt work for STK200 programmer) ponyprog which worked even under windowsxp.
2. Learn assembly language of the 8051.(need to learn it myself when I have time!).
3. Practice with the chip using LEDs, turning them on / off, then play with timers make them start blinking slowly and faster at certain acceleration rate.
3. Start experimenting with switch inputs, switch debouncing, keymatrix scanning.
4. Learn the basics of serial comms of the 8051, interface it to a PC and use the serial port to debug your programs.
5. After beeing comfortable with this start learning embeded c for microcontrollers. Most manufacturers have a demo version of their compilers or you can download the sharewhere compiler as steve pointed out.
6. Try the flash magic program and see how easy to develop programs without a programmer, just the serial port of your PC.
7. Go looking for problem to solve in the mean outside world.
Good luck and keep posting question to this forum if u need any further help.
mahmood