Okay, but I'm on the same crossroads - using Flash micros is the easiest way in most cases, but sometimes one -needs- to use the external memory (i.e. most of models with really "exotic" hardware on board (5-USB hub, Ethernet+3xRS232, etc) come without flash. (though most probably I will use a flash micro AND the external memory (through latch) to write a bootstrap code into the external memory (NVRAM) which will be used as code memory for the "exotic" ones...)