Microcontroller selection query

hey, just looking for some advice on where to begin, im a good programmer, but never ventured into hardware before. So-far the Prototyping Board for LPC2148 stands out to me for its core speks and inputs, but i know little about how to write to it (jtag?). Is this an ok begining? or should i begin elsewhere? such as PIC’s or arduino’s etc.

ps. just a quick note, the project im working on will require a decent amount of coding space, ram and speed, with at least 5 analoge inputs, a few digital and 6(7?) PWM (for servo’s) outputs. oh, and as a full time uni student money is always an issue.

thanks - Mitchell