Battery life is a concern, though. I'm not sure how linear voltage regulators work, but I think they always burn a good bit of power.
I guess I could get a DC boarduino and use my Duemilanove to program the chip, since the boarduino uses a DIP. I can forsee frustration at having to remove the chip every time, though. Eventually I could get a serial converter, and the boarduino is within the budget.
For my latest project, I used this for power...
How long does that last? How much current does an arduino board draw from USB?
After reading TFM, I found these specs on the Duemilanove
The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts. If supplied with less than 7V, however, the 5V pin may supply less than five volts and the board may be unstable. If using more than 12V, the voltage regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended range is 7 to 12 volts.
This makes me wonder if there is a voltage step-up circuit on the Duemilanove for using the USB port power. It also means I could hook a 9v battery straight up if I can fit it.
and this for processing...
The teensy looks very interesting, but not a complete arduino-clone. I'd rather stick with straight clones at this point.