Hi Neil,
AvrFreaks has an Arduino section but it's just one subforum in a big
site.

I mostly lurk in the xMega forum and my handle is not my name. BillW has
been a frequent poster at avrfreaks for a long time, I imagine there are
other piclisters who hang out there also. I seem to recall seeing him on
43oh too. He gets around!

WRT factory support, I have no experience with Atmel and my last few
trouble tickets with Microchip were all about compiler activation and
licensing mixups, and I always got better than 24 hour turnaround on
replies. The silicon itself varies from part to part, like Microchip.
Some parts have long errata sheets(xMega-D), some are very clean.

Best regards, Bob

On Tue, Dec 9, 2014, at 02:47 PM, Neil wrote:
> Don't hold back Bob... tell us how you really feel :)
>=20
> Seriously though, I've been contacted/visited by several other processor=
=20
> manufacturers with the intention of swaying me over to their stuff, and=20
> from what I've heard from people who actually use PICs AND other=20
> processors (so they can compare), others have their issues also.  Atmel=20
> always tempted me because of their 40mA drive capability, but their lack=
=20
> of ability to turn a profit for quite some time worried me.  Now they're=
=20
> doing much better and I'm sure that the Arduino movement gave them that=20
> boost.
>=20
> What concerns me about Microchip is that support was much easier 5+=20
> years ago.  I could call and ask a question.  Now I have to put in a=20
> ticket and a few days later call up to ask why no one has responded to=20
> the ticket.  Not sure how Atmel's support it, but I expect the peer=20
> support forums would be highly focused on Arduino code.  FWIW, I'm in=20
> the middle of teaching a multi-session Arduino class, so I know a bit=20
> about those, and I can say they definitely serve a great purpose, but=20
> not really my purpose.  Other less-"consumer" processors will probably=20
> not have great peer support... I suspect.
>=20
> I absolutely agree that Microchip needs to do more to make their=20
> processors easier to get up and running with.  It's not fun, as you say
> Bob.
>=20
> Cheers,
> -Neil.
>=20
>=20
> On 12/9/2014 11:34 AM, Bob Blick wrote:
> > If one must have a reason, the one I see is that PICs are crappy
> > microprocessors and Microchip has no idea how to put together a coheren=
t
> > line of parts.
> >
> > Just comparing forums, the Piclist, 43oh, and avrfreaks, it's easy to
> > see that Atmel makes the most popular micros of the three. Microchip ma=
y
> > sell a lot of parts but they are (relatively) no fun to use.
> >
> > I don't design with PICs anymore. The world has moved on. And
> > Microchip's new offerings aren't as good as those from other vendors.
> >
> > Bob

--=20
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