a USB port:

You need to buy PICkit-2 Burner kit.

Once you have decided on a programmer, you will need to buy the kit and assemble it.
Connect it to your computer and go to the projects below. Start with: World's Simplest Program. It uses a PIC12F629 and has only 4 instructions to blink a LED. It shows how the Watch-Dog Timer resets the chip every 150mS.  It's not a normal type of program but it tests the micro, the programmer and the circuit you have constructed.
Then alter one or two of the instructions and see what happens. If you can do this, you are ready to start.
The projects are divided into two groups: PIC12F629 (8 pin) or PIC16F628 (18 pin).
Both micros use the same instruction-set (only some small differences) and both are identical when it comes to learning how they operate. The only difference is the 8 pin micro has 5 in/out lines and 1 input-only line. The 18 pin micro has 15 outputs (plus one input-only line).


WE START AT "GROUND ZERO"
The following list of data sheets, projects and "help" articles is like a course. It covers everything you need to know about producing a PIC microcontroller project.
Everything can be accessed via links on Talking Electronics website (http://www.talkingelectronics.com) and is also available on CD from Talking Electronics for $10.00 posted to anywhere in the world.
This is the lowest-cost course ANYWHERE on the web and it starts at less than $50.00 for a PIC programmer and project. You also get a CD containing all the necessary information including instructions for all the kits. 
Even though our approach is the simplest way to get into PIC programming, you may have a question and it can be answered by contacting Colin Mitchell or going to a forum, where microcontroller questions will be answered 24 hours a day! One of the forums is: http://www.electro-tech-online.com/

USING OTHER MICROS
There are a number of other micros on the market and many of them offer a similar range, price and set of features as the PIC.
We have chosen the PIC because of the enormous amount of help and number of projects on the web.
At this point in time, no-one has written an article to say any other processor is markedly better than a PIC and so you are not being steered down a "dead end."
One of the other manufacturers ceased to produce their smallest micro and that's why their "attiny" range was not chosen.  We were just about to promote the attiny12 series when it ceased to be manufactured.  Luckily, the equivalent PIC chip is cheaper.

START HERE WITH PIC PROGRAMMING
A set of experiments using the LED Fx PC board. The course contains a folder with the file for writing your program (NotePad2), converting your .asm to .hex (MPASM) and for burning a PIC micro (ICPROG).
You will need a fully built LED Fx, and Pic Programmer MkV
If you have a USB port, you will need PIC-2 USB Burner  and PICkit2 software.

Here are the data sheets, projects and "help" articles:

PINOUTS

Blank template for PIC12F629 or select a PIC12F629 project and remove unwanted code.
Blank template for PIC16F628 or select a PIC16F628 project and remove unwanted code.
To work on (or produce) a template you will need: Notepad2.zip   or  Notepad2.exe 
Data sheet for PIC12F629 (5MB .pdf)
Data sheet for PIC16F628 (2.6MB .pdf)
Library of terms  A-E
Library of terms  E-P
Library of terms  P-Z
List of Instructions for PIC12F629    then go to: Explaining the Instructions  &  more details
List of Instructions for PIC16F628   then go to: Explaining the Instructions   &   more details
PIC12F629 Pinout   PIC16F628 Pinout  Files in PIC12F629 and PIC16F628
Software for PIC Programmer MkV - Icprog105c
Surface Mount Pin-outs
The XOR Trick - learning about the power of the XOR function
2 Things at Once - tutorial - using interrupt and isr to do 2 things at the same time.
100 Helpful Hints - things you need to know, to be able to produce a program

PROJECTS:
Pic Programmer MkV  Simple PIC programmer - uses just 12 Parts - for serial port
PIC-2 USB Burner for lap-top USB port
World's Simplest Program for a PIC12F629. It uses only 8 instructions and blinks a LED. It shows how the Watch-Dog Timer resets the chip every 18mS to 2400mS if not cleared.
Kit contains PC board, 6 pin to 5 pin adapter, 8pin socket, chip, LED, resistor and pins to create a development board for burning 8 pin PIC chips. 

PIC12F629:
Alarm Space Gun uses PIC12F629
Capacitance Meter - measure capacitor values from 1p to 100u
Crossing Sound - for your model railway layout
EEPROM Speed - write and read EEPROM to see how fast it gets done.
Happy Birthday - uses a piezo and PIC12F629  to produce Happy Birthday tune
It's A Small World - uses a piezo and PIC12F629  to produce It's A Small World tune 
Joy Stick Controller  - control 2 servo's via a Joy Stick
Lego Chaser - Seven routines on two sets of 10 LEDs - uses a PIC12F629
LED Fx - 12 different effects on a set of 3 ultra bright white LEDs.
Lift Counter Uses a PIC12F629 with LED display and up/down buttons.
Music Box  Uses PIC12F629 and plays 11 melodies
Sky Writer  Uses a PIC12F629 to put messages "in the air."
Servo Motor Controller - control 2 servo's via a Joy Stick
Solar Tracker-1  Uses a PIC12F629 with H-bridge to allow a solar panel to track the sun.
Touch Switch - use a PIC to create on/off via a touch pad
Whistle Uses a PIC12F629 to detect a whistle - similar to Whistle Key Finder.
2 Digit Counter using a PIC12F629
2 Digit Up/Down Counter  5 different designs. Uses PIC12F629 or PIC16F628 chips.
12 Digit Running Sign - uses a 12 digit calculator display to produce running messages
40 LED Badge  - uses a PIC12F629 to show effects on 40 LEDs

PIC12F675:
Audio CRO uses PIC12F675 to produce a simple audio CRO via a spinning PCB on the shaft of a motor. A good mechanical as well as electronic project.

PIC16F628:
Dial Alarm-2 Dials 2 phone numbers via DTMF and produces a Hee Haw Sound. Has a in-built microphone to listen to the target zone. Uses a PIC16F628
PIC Lick-1  A development board for the PIC16F628
Simon 4 buttons are used to repeat a sequence of Lights and sounds. Uses a PIC16F628
Stroop Game A very interesting Psychological game named after the doctor who introduced the test. Uses a PIC16F628
Tic Tac Toe  A challenging game where the computer wins or draws. Uses a PIC16F628.
15x7 Display using a PIC16F628
2 Digit Up/Down Counter  5 different designs. Uses PIC12F629 or PIC16F628 chips.
12 Digit Display A 12 Digit calculator display is used to produce a running sign and other effects. Uses a PIC16F628

HELPFUL FACTS
Here is some helpful facts on the PIC12F629 and PIC16F628 micros:
The PIC12F629 has 1024 locations for your program. This is 4 pages and is commonly called 1k of memory. A page has 256 locations (0FFh locations). Page0 consists of locations 00h to 0FFh. Page1 consists of locations 100h to 1FFh. Page2 consists of locations 200h to 2FFh. Page3 300h to 3FFh.
The PIC16F628 has 2048 locations for your program. This is 8 pages. This is 2k of memory for your program.
Goto and Call instructions access the whole of memory.
A table can only be 0FFh locations long and it must not go over a border. For instance it can be from location 006h to 0FFh  or 100h to 1FFh or 300h to 3FEh (for the PIC12F629) - the last location stores the oscillator calibration-bit and cannot be used for your program. 
The microcontroller has different areas for storing different pieces of data. There are 4 main areas that contain files or registers to store these values.
The first and largest area is 1k or 2k and stores your program. This is called the CODE AREA  or PROGRAMMING AREA  or CODE SPACE and is in the CORE AREA of the chip. This area is also in "BANK 0" of the micro but is normally referred to as the CORE AREA.
The second and third areas contain Special Function Registers or Files and these are used by the CPU (Central Processing Unit - the heart of the microcontroller) to control the operation of the chip. These files have names such as STATUS register, File Select Register, Timer1 HIGH, Timer1 LOW and the in/out port called GPIO or PORTA, PORTB. These files (or Registers) along with others, are in BANK0 - the core area of the chip, while other Registers such as OPTION register, Oscillator Calibration register, EEDATA register, TRIS (the files that determines if a pin will  be input or output) and others are in BANK1.
To place data into these registers or read data from them, you must "switch banks." This is called BANK SWITCHING and is done by adding an instruction to your program thus:
To change from the core area (Bank0) to Bank1, the instructions is:
bsf status, rp0 ;to get to Bank 1
To change from Bank1, back to the core area (your programming area), the instruction is:
bcf status, rp0 ;to get to bank 0
The STATUS file is located in both areas and that is why it can be used to switch from one bank to the other.
You must switch to Bank0 after accessing files in Bank1, to execute further instructions in your program 
The fourth area is EEPROM area. This area contains 128 bytes of data that can be altered at any time during the running of a program and data will be retailed when power is removed.
EPROM memory is not CODE area (your program area) or General Purpose Register memory. They are all separate.
EPROM memory is very slow in writing but fast in reading. It can be written to a million times and needs no power to hold its memory.
Code space memory (flash memory) has about 100,000 write-cycle capability and cannot retain data without power.
General Purpose Register memory is STATIC RAM. These are the files from 20h to 5Fh (and more) that you use to store temporary data during the running of your program. It does not retain data without power.
The "w Register" is the "working Register" and transfers data from one file (or routine) to another.