What software/hardware do I need to program a PIC microcontroller?

I need to program a chip to do a very simple task. When the chip receives a logic high signal, I need it to begin doing pulse width modulation, starting with a 0% duty cycle and then linearly increasing the duty cycle over a period of time.





My questions are:





A) What type of PIC I should purchase?


B) What type of programmer do I need (I'm running Vista ... but I have access to XP)?


C) What software do I need to use with the programmer?





The goal is to build a circuit where I can push an on button, and have two LEDs slowly get brighter and brighter over the course of a few minutes. If you have any general suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thank you!

What software/hardware do I need to program a PIC microcontroller?
I'm not sure that you can perform pulse width modulation starting with a 0% duty cycle. Also, you may want to increase the duty cycle parabolicly rather than linearly... just a thought...