dav9482 
Hello,
I have used a bit of Arduino and avr-gcc (and related tools),
and both look fine to me.
Now I am starting a project making use of the SPI, still a simple project.
I'd like to ask what are the prons and cons of Arduino vs avr-gcc?
Regards,
David
uracolix Arduino uses avr-gcc. Start with Arduino, you can upgrade to use avr-gcc directly at any time.
Simply ask uncle Google for a list of pros and cons.
mckeemj 
I have not used the Arduino wiring environment so my opinions are based solely on what I've read and explored so take them with a grain of salt. However, advantages of Arduino are ease of use and a range of available library functions. Some cons are less than optimal code for some simple things - like pin access - and imposed structure. I have, however, no idea how efficient the SPI code is. The primary advantages of avr-gcc are the fact that you can produce more efficient code in some cases and you are not as constrained in how you structure your program - you have "full" freedom. Keep in mind, however, that freedom of structure is not always a good thing. It is all too easy to choose the wrong structure for a program and be worse off than you would have been with an imposed structure.
Given a small to moderate size program that does not have extra tight real-time performance constraints, I don't feel there is much to recommend either above the other. Except for the most important thing... how comfortable you are with the tools.
Martin Jay McKee
dav9482 ok, thanks!
If you look on Smiley's website (he runs an ad on this page) he has his series of Nuts & Volts articles. Many months ago he started on the Arduino, and I think he morphs standard Arduino examples over into a mix of Arduino and gcc for special purposes. At least that's what his latest book does, and I believe it is modeled on the articles (more or less, with additional information).
Anyway, check them out. The price is right (free).
