Micro controllers / bread boards

[L4nce0]

I took a engineering class for fun this semester. I'll be a programmer by trade. Anyways I am looking into getting a bread board, and maybe a micro controller. Breadboards with power supplies are drastically cheaper then those 70 dollar kits. I'm kinda just looking for a tool list to put on my christmas wish list. bread board, saudering iron, some logic gates... kinda out of ideas. Long term I want tools that will let me make my own light arrays for my custom cases.

Thanks!

Edit. The ability to connect and program the boards to my PC is Most desirable. Play to my strengths. . .

 

[L4nce0]

bump..

 

[SuperMiguel]

buy a robot kit build a robot
http://www.arrickrobotics.com/arobot/index.html

 

[FireMogle]

While I have never been able to invest in one, the PIC micro controllers looked kinda nice. Need to buy/make a programmer, but I think the software to program it is free, or freeish.

 

[GrimX9]

Great "start here" tutorial for mcu's/robots
http://letsmakerobots.com/start