get their software right
I read somewhere that it will support debugging and other stuff, I wonder if that means a new IDE, maybe based on VS as that's what Atmel have moved to.
it looks the normal way of evolution
Yep, when there is a large selection of cheap 32-bit chips right down to 8 pins there will be little or no use for an 8-bitter.
Here's a thought, I recently used an LPC as a 12x12 digital mux in a design. Low speed compared to hardware but fast enough for the application and run-time configurable. When things are farst enough and cheap enough you can use them for all sorts of things previously unheard of. Why not have a 32-bit ARM working as an AND gate?
Rob