New & Exciting application
and new & exciting hardware ??
Are they don't go hand in hand

why new & exciting hardware --> it is for new & exciting application only & visa versa

Will use '51 with 8 channel a/d and USB or CAN for simple counting application ??

Or monitoring /logging parameters of your home/office/factory appliances parameter (like temp, pressue , produc rate of cloth processing machine) over internet is not real world , new & exciting application (embedded web server )??
Will it not be easy to implement it using a micro having inbuilt ethernet port & TCP/IP capabilities ??
So can't be we say new & real excting feature of inbuilt ethernet & TCP/IP of a new micro(if it comes) can ease implementation of embedded web server, which is is a real world new & exciting application.
Many companies are coming out with hardware solution(in form of small modules) for embedded equipe internet connectivity solution but using some extra hardware. So if some company comes out with this feature in built in the mocro chip , will not develpoer switch over to that micro ?
I have mentiioned good reson for developer to stick 51 series archt in spite so many advance micro coming out in market. No comments on that ??
But question is how far it will go ??
Even ATEML which is aggressively coming out with 51 variants around 1-2 year back are not coming out with good/feature rich 51 derivatives any more. Instead they have started pushing AVR , AT mega series aggresively. Why?? When they have go so populat 51userr base??

I have never tried phillips micros.
They are not easily available in india market.
Acn you give some main of features 89LPC93x and also its cost

Anil