> it doesn't stop the external world Sure, but it can also happen when debugging desktop applications too. It's not just an embedded problem. Even if all event

> it doesn't stop the external world Sure, but it can also happen when debugging desktop applications too. It's not just an embedded problem. Even if all events are queued up, you still can (for example) interrupt a handshake that goes into timeout by the remote side. > those events will either be missed It happens but is not inherently a bad thing. Sometimes this can be used on purpose. > considerably less time than a human hitting continue after a breakpoint I am well aware that there are situations in which serial debugging is not possible, and situations in which breakpoint debugging is not practical. I am not saying that printf (or whatever) debugging is useless or bad, or that breakpoints are better. I am saying that placing random printf's to determine the program flow and guessing where the problem could be is a desperate solution.