aarg:
On a technical level, stagnant. It only has a few more years to run before it's eclipsed by other platforms.
The trouble with that theory is, 8-bit controllers (like the 6502 used in the Apple II) were indeed eclipsed by more powerful ones around 40 years ago. So why are Atmel and Microchip selling billions of chips the last few years? Because "powerful" isn't necessarily better.
- Powerful requires more power - not great for something running off solar power or a battery
- Powerful generates more heat
- Powerful needs more complex programming (eg. multi-threading)
- Powerful has an underlying operating system, which adds a layer of complexity and which can fail
- Powerful is so complex it can be subverted by viruses and trojans without your knowledge