[wagonman76]

You could buy the kit like SVOboy said, that is one way to go. The kit is a new thing so there may be some bugs to be worked out. But it is a really nice integrated package and does not have wires running all over the place, and fits into smaller places than the others.

Arduino is the basic name of the platform for the hardware/software. The others are just a spinoff of Arduino and is compatible, though some extra parts may be needed. You can get an actual Arduino board, which is what I used for my first mpguino. The Freeduino is basically an Arduino, but in an easy to solder kit and costs less. I used this for my next two mpguinos. Others have used the Iduino, which is smaller and costs less, but needs a few additional parts.