Mahmood:
Anyway if you need external ram its better to use a microprocessor and not a microcontroller.
What is the problem with external RAM (<= 64k) on the '51 microcontroller

After that they should upgrade to PICs
UPgrade ???

Michael:
I tend to agree that for any given project there is one processor out there that will beat all the others in some specific way.....but in general I think I could do most any project with any of the processors.
Absolutely, I would say that too may projects are done with the wrong controller "because we know it and have the tools"

1) Are cost effective tools available,
2) Can I avoid a develpment process that has a "make a ROM and test blindly mode" of program debug,
1) "cost effective" should not mean cheap to buy, it should mean easy to use so productivity is high.
2) rephrase "is ICE availaable"

Craig:
Texas Instruments 8052-based MCU that includes full 8052 support. It's the TUSB2136

The fact that TI select the '51 architecture over their own for this and the 24 bit analog processsor should indicate something about the strength of the '51 architecture.

Erik