Back to basics: PIC is not PC
Microprocessors are good, but don't forget about microcontrollers. Microprocessors are smart but they are flawed - they are too generic, too complex, running too complex code and hence unreliable. Microcontrollers are perfect implementation of KISS. So let's look back to low level - asm, mics, ICs, MCUs, etc.
More... Sat Nov 2 21:51:36 2013 Upd.: Sun Nov 3 16:18:53 2013