fungus:
Yes, but we're not comparing the Pro-Mini with a 14-pin DIP, we're comparing the Pro-Mini with a 14-pin DIP on a PCB.
But a 14-pin DIP (not on a PCB) is precisely the comparison you made earlier,
fungus:
The thing is...it all seems a bit pointless since the arrival of the $3 Pro Mini. Why wrestle with non-working libraries and stuff when you can get a $3 board that's 100% compatible with an Uno and fits in the same space as a 14-pin DIP? (more or less)
My point is that someone who is not familiar with the size of the Pro mini might take your statement at face value. A 14-pin dip requires about 160 sq mm of board space (and the ISP can be included in that space on the reverse side of the board), the Pro mini requires about 600 sq mm or more than three times the board space. And that doesn't take into account the 8 pin devices or using smd devices, which can make the difference even more significant.
I don't disagree that the Pro Mini makes a useful substitute for nearly all hobbiest uses they would put the tiny series to work; however, not everyone is a hobbyist, and there are many reasons that the Pro mini would be inappropriate to replace the tiny series.
fungus:
Here's a PCB I made for using Tiny84s, it has a Tiny84+ISP header pins. It's 4mm shorter than a Pro Mini and 1mm narrower. In practical terms they're about the same size.I still use Tiny84s for jobs that need more pins than a Tiny85 and don't rely on any "Uno-only" libraries, but ... that's just to use up my stock of chips+PCBs. I've got about a dozen left. Once they're gone, they're gone. I don't think I'll be buying any more.
Edit: Forgot the image, duh!
BTW, that $3 pro mini is very misleading....
Quoting the price of a small quantity EBAY purchase is not really applicable. What matters is the price for a reliable source that can provide the quantities you need. Even if the $3 is close to what you can get it for from a reputable supplier, the price of tiny chips is still much lower (and far easier to obtain in production quantities) for instance I can get 100 8KB at tiny chips for 50 cents a piece from Mouser, much less for larger quantities. And for a number of uses, that single chip is all that is needed for the entire application.