Michael wrote:
Kitchen table programmers are not held in high regard here, although many of us must confess to using one at one time or other in our career
Michael:
Absolutely, and at that point there was no other option, ISP, JTAG programming etc did not exist.

Charles wrote:
Ego's are at stake here and that will hide the truth. The best way to determine if so "Table Top Programmers" are being used is to see how many web sites are popping up telling how to build them in detail showing schematics and printed circuit boards. Just look at the detail of the PCB's and software and you can see there is a lot of work being put into these programmers.

Also to see how many new programs being written showing how to program them. It would appear the so called experts are not experts based upon this analysts.
There is a current thread about a new assembler, does that prove that there is a need for a new assembler?

Anyhow, if ISP JTAG etc were not available I would be supporting the kitchen table programmer builders, it is just that such support will lead them down the frustrating road (30+ posts) of trying to make such an animal work. Instead, why not lead the novices down the beautiful, easy path of ISP. The issue here is that making a kitchen table programmer requires such "precision" that it never should be the first task anyone approach. If a chip I liked were to come out that did not have any form of ISP (I doubt that would happen in todays world) and my programmers could not handle it I would not hesitate to build a programmer but that would be done based on experience.

Erik