As an "academic" task I'm looking through the options for
microprocessors that are relatively easy to program and dont require
expensive hardware, however the list is endless and the number of
options in both programmers and hardware is vast. At the super simple
end you have the picaxe - effective for simple/low stress tasks etc and
uber-simple to program, but not overly quick and very limited in program
space. Then looking at the AVR ATMega items they seem well suited to
complex projects, programmable in C?, high performance etc but very
expensive for hobbyist/educational tasks. Theres basic stamp stuff, I've
never used it but it looks fairly pricey.

Is there a site I've not found that compares the available
architectures, simplicity/expense of the programming hardware/softare
etc? I'm looking for possible 1st year degree level robotics projects -
picaxe doesnt quite hack it flexibility/speedwise and im looking for a
good step up with plenty of ability at a low-ish cost! Most students
have a grounding in C and could deal with things like pascal etc if
required, assembly isnt out of the question but not preferable.

Any pointers for me? I seem to only find commercially biased sites by
manufacturers/retailers.

J