If you're like me, you want to make exactly one mining trip in to the depths of the underworld and then be done with it. You want to know exactly what to build, and what you need to build it the first time while wasting as little as possible.
Based on recent forum discussions and undocumented redstone powering of machines, this is my optimal list of required items to get started (after you have, you know, shelter, food, and a place to store all this crap). It ignores food, ladders/platforms and fuel for furnaces, but lists exactly where you should switch over to the proper methods of doing things. There are some extras, but this is what I want to /start/ with (and dropping the electronic furnace only saves you 5 iron ore and nothing else you'd be scarce on)
Edit:
I've also uploaded a video form of this:
http://youtu.be/GSEmKdRODss Episode 1.1 - the first machines
http://youtu.be/UalrpoTHfzo Episode 1.2 - tier 1 completed
(iron quoted instead of refined iron glitch still present, does not effect mining need totals.)
Since I'll be a few more hours without being able to upload stuff, here's the table of directions and the totals the formula reached, in CSV format (copy, paste, save as file.csv use in the spreadsheet of your choice).
http://mproj.net/img/ic2-startup.xls :: XLS link version now uploaded.
http://pastebin.com/uDF0CSnn (save the file as something.csv not using *.txt mode)
or
Resource use log,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,Copper,Tin,Iron,Refined Iron,Redstone Dust,Sticky Resin,Rubber,Iron Ore,Tin Ore,Copper Ore,Gold (dust),Flint,Coal
15 Iron,,,,,,,,15,,,,,
6 Copper,,,,,,,,,,6,,,
1 Bucket,,,3,,,,,,,,,,
1 Iron Pick,,,3,,,,,,,,,,
14 Rubber,,,,,,14,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Machine Block,,,,8,,,,*,,,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,*,6,*,,*,,,
1 Macerator,,,,,,,,,,,,3,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Coal Dust (Hydrate this),,,,,1,,,,,,,,1
2 InsCu wire + 4 Copper Wire,3,,,,,*,2,,,*,,,
8 Single Use Battery,,,,,1,,,,,,,,
,"Now you macerate everything for your generator (you have 8000 eU and <= 10 operations (6500), it's a no-brainer)",,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Reusable Battery,*,4,,,2,,,,2,,,,
Generator (Iron Furnace method),,,5,3,,,,4,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Optional: Upgrade to Windgen,,,4,,,,,2,,,,,
Optional: Windgen tin cable,,3,,,,,,,1.5,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,*,6,0.5,,1.5,,,
Machine Block,,,8,,,,,4,,,,,
Extractor,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,Now you extract all your rubber,,,,,14,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,2,6,0.5,,1.5,,,
Iron Furnace,,,5,,,,,4,,,,,
Electronic Furnace,,,,,2,,,,,,,,
,Better cooking (you might still want to use your charcoal for cooking if you built a windgen),,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
2 Electronic Circuit,6,,,2,4,4,12,1,,3,,,
Machine Block,,,,8,,,,4,,,,,
72 = 9 * 8 Pipe,,,,54,,,,27,,,,,
Miner,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,2,6,0.5,,1.5,,,
Reusable Battery,*,4,,,2,*,1,,2,,,,
Mining Drill (won't do obsidian),,,,5,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
1 Glowstone,,,,,5,,,,,,4,,
Reusable Battery,*,4,,,2,*,1,,2,,,,
2 Electronic Circuit,6,,,2,4,4,12,1,,3,,,
,At this point you have one uninsulated copper wire left (at max) and must make more... that's factored in next,,,,,,,,,,,,
OD Scanner,3,,,,,1,3,,,1.5,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,2,6,0.5,,1.5,,,
Machine Block,,,,8,,,,4,,,,,
16 Cells (4 for recipe),,4,,,,,,,2,,,,
Pump (also uses 2 drill pipe),,,,,,,,,,,,,
,At this point you can risk a mining operation if you don't have sufficient resources to build the last pieces of equipment.,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
6 Bronze,*,*,,,,,,,1.5,4.5,,,
Electronic Circuit,3,,,1,2,2,6,0.5,,1.5,,,
Reusable Battery,*,4,,,2,*,1,,2,,,,
Electric Wrench,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Reusable Battery,*,4,,,2,*,1,,2,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,Redstone dust,,Sticky Resin (can be equivilent value in other sources if > G7's number),Iron Ore,Tin Ore,Copper Ore,Gold Ore,Flint,Coal
Initial mining goal:,,,,,39,,37,69,15,26,2,3,1
,Redstone dust MIGHT be traded for more iron; but the total is already quite high and iron isn't that abundant. Eat it up and go find more redstone in the depths.,,,,,,,,,,,,