This is a common sentiment and I have a lot to say on the topic, so I'll try to keep it brief: - You want to keep manufacturing costs low so you can make more

This is a common sentiment and I have a lot to say on the topic, so I'll try to keep it brief: - You want to keep manufacturing costs low so you can make more money. - Running Linux requires a relatively large CPU with an MMU and a lot of RAM and Flash. This adds significant cost -- $5-$20 per unit. - Some devices do enough local processing that they have this hardware anyway (routers, streaming TV widgets, smartphones). In this case, you might as well just run Linux and take advantage of the big software ecosystem. - Most devices do not require such big hardware. This is where you want something like FreeRTOS (or smaller!) so you can ship smaller, cheaper hardware.