small PICs are great in the design nitch between digital logic solutions and 8051 solutions.

We used a simple 14pin 12 series PIC once to replace digital logic with a simple decision making that could be alterred by the state of a mode switch. The pics cost us about $.50 US (I'd have to look it up but that's close enough). It was a simple program and allowed that simple product to list its three modes as new features.

PICs are good for controlling human interface panels like keyboards etc. particularly when you don't want to load down your main uC with the IO or maybe to keep it asleep until the PIC wakes it up.

PICs are great in distributive simple monitoring in multi microcontroller designs. Unlike some, I consider PICs to be the proper solution OVER 8051 in many applications. If I'm force to step up to a "superPIC", I'd use a 8051.

aka j