Si:
@Si: But doesn't that mean that ALL ARM Cortex M3 and various other companies' 32-bit microcontrollers, have no applications?
Not amongst Hobbyists I expect.
Still waiting for the flood of examples
Ah, but what if a 32 bit MCU came in a DIP package and was roughly the same
cost as the 8 bit AVR?
Wouldn't it make sense to take a serious look at it?
and perhaps leave the 8 bit world behind?
I think something like the new Microchip pic32 28pin dip parts would be a much better option than
all these ARMs for hobbiests. ARM is really a technology and not a processor.
ARM is great for embedding in custom silicon designs, something hobbyists will probably never need.
Consider this.
An Arduino board based on the pic32 28 pin dip parts would return Arduino back to its roots,
which is what got all the interest to begin with.
The pic32 parts are currently readily available and only cost slightly more than a mega328
in QTY 1.
It is 32 bit vs 8 bit with a linear address space so no more hassles with having to deal with things
like progmem and having to constantly declare things 8 bit in order to optimize code.
For beginners I think it would actually be an easier environment to work with
than the AVR architecture while offering much more processing power and RAM than the AVR based parts.
The pic32 DIP parts seems to hit a very nice sweet spot in that it solves many of the wants for more
performance and resources yet still can provide a nice easy to work with package for hobbyists,
students, and DIYers.
My fear is that the DUE product has strayed a bit far away from the hobby and educational markets
that originally made Arduino so popular.
--- bill