Okay, I will try to clarify the comparison: It's up to you to watch the number of arguments, printf() won't do that for you. It's up to you to watch where the blade goes, the chainsaw will cut through flesh even easier than through wood. About pencil:tree - You can't control precise, time-critical, extremely fast applications with printf(), but you can easily spurt out several lines of text and send it over serial.

BSOD is short for Blue Screen Of Death. Windows freeze.
In embedded applications it may mean suddenly all controls freeze in your car while you go 150km/h, it may mean the life support device in hospital kills a patient, or at best that your laundry machine overflows and spills water on the floor. Programmer's fault.