On Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 8:24 PM, Byron Jeff wrote: > And I'm waiting for the 8 pin 12F1822 to come on line. 2K of program > memory, 128 bytes of ram, hardware USART and SPI/I2C (both of which can > operate at the same time), internal oscillator that runs up to 32 Mhz, all > in a 8 pin package that's $1 each in quantity. > > With Microchip, it's always best to look at their newest offerings. Unlike > most companies, which charge a premium for their new shiny stuff, Mchip has > been consistent over the years in offering much more for much less. > Actually pretty all the MCU vendors are doing this right now. The MCUs become kind of commodity product, even the 32bit MCUs are now approaching US$1, many of them cost US$2 at reasonable quantity. Of course a bit higher for hobbyists. But they may not be really easy for hobbyist due to various reasons (eg: packaging). If only comparing pricing, Microchip MCUs are not that competitive. However, Microchip is quite hobbyist friendly, that is one reason to use PIC as a hobbyist. Microchip is also quite small-business friendly, that is one good reason to use PIC for small business. Microchip also keeps product life quite long, that is one important reason to use PIC for many customers, even big players. Therefore Microchip earns quite good money whereas Atmel loses money or barely break even. -- Xiaofan http://mcuee.blogspot.com -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist