I could not get the comparator to work even after months of trying. Trying to read the PIC datasheet, and trying to configure the pins for the correct input and output I found so difficult that it motivated me to dive into electronics to find dedicated components to do the job.
It's not that hard just a few lines of code, you must have been missing something very basic or not understanding the datasheet...
Arduino is a pleasure after the PIC, since Arduino comes with its library of routines.
The Arduinio compiler does have a bunch of libraries, like most libraries they can be bloated pretty badly vs coding it proper for your needs... But, that isn't to say that other compilers don't have libraries, many do even the JAL compiler you pointed out... The Mikroe compilers I suggested above have a vast variety of built in libraries that come with the compiler, as well as many other fan built ones that can be found in the forums... The same can be said for other compilers...
I believe what you are actually comparing is your experience with the Arduino IDE vs the JAL IDE, and yes the Arduino IDE is a clean and user friendly interface, that has pros and cons attached to it though...
Also the Arduino allows analog input which the 16f628 did not - and analog is very necessary.
Yeah, but there are 100s of other PIC chips you could/should have chosen one with an ADC if that is what you needed... You should chose the micro for the job, not force the job onto a micro...
Comparing a PIC16F628A to an Atmega32 (on the Ardunio) is of course going to be lopsided they are not comparable or even in the same league chips... You should be at least comparing the PIC18 series with a closer pin count to level the playing ground... And when you do that you will see that neither has a real advantage in the end, they offer differences that can make or break a particular design depending upon you needs...
Again pick the chip for the design, don't force the design upon the chip...
Is there a small, cheap PIC out there which is easy to get to do ones will?
Do what? There are plenty of cheap PIC chips that do all sorts of stuff... I have done A LOT of projects with the PIC12F683 it's a cheap 8 pin work horse...The PIC16F88 also gets a lot of use by me, as does the PIC16F628, as well as many other bigger, newer and better PIC chips... I choose the chip for the application, and sometimes you have to flip companies and use an AVR or PIC (or whatever) to take advantage of something one or the other has that will make the project smoother...
If you are wanting to learn on your own I suggest the Arduino is much easier to work with to produce predictable results.
I'm not sure I follow that, I get predictable results all the time with my PIC chips, it's more a matter of knowing your hardware and software... If you limit yourself to one chip and one platform of course you can wrap your head around the results quicker, but in the same instance you are tying your hands and limiting your options...