RP2040 is cost-optimized. Today, there are "computers" that are being used as $0.05 timers running at 32kHz clock. RP2040 is aiming at the $1.5ish price point

RP2040 is cost-optimized. Today, there are "computers" that are being used as $0.05 timers running at 32kHz clock. RP2040 is aiming at the $1.5ish price point and is somewhat appropriate for the task. (I think that most of the Cortex-M32, M22, and M0+ competitors are a bit more pragmatic with regards to more capabilities in a single chip... but RP2040's niche is external flash, USB and a few other tidbits that hobbyists like) ----------- "General Purpose Compute" is like $5 to $15. ESP32 still isn't quite there IMO despite being larger than RP2040. I'm thinking you want something like TI's AM335x or NXP's i.MX6 processors. IMO anyway. But every price point from 5-cents to $15 has an option. The embedded world is extremely competitive. There will be that $6 processor with exactly the features you need to perform exactly the task you want. And a different processor at $3.50 that solves a different niche, and another processor at $11. Etc. etc. > ucLinux which would put it in another category entirely. A general purpose compute processor should support external RAM and external Flash for maximum flexibility for different tasks. That way, one die can be used in many different projects. Cost-optimized processors, like what the RP2040 and its bretherin in the Cortex-M0+ cost tier, are here for people who "can't afford" an external memory interface. Either due to power-constraints (external RAM costs more power) or cost-constraints (straight up dollars). The minute we hit $5+, we start seeing external memory interfaces supporting older 128MB DDR3 RAM and such and compute-capabilities per dollar shoots up dramatically. There's no point trying to compete against the $5 market with $1.50 chips. And forget uCLinux, these babies just run full on Linux (albeit with far less RAM/compute than a normal computer...) ------- Like: 50-cents of NOR-flash just doesn't get you as far as a microSD card sorta thing. RP2040 is still on the "low-cost" side of the efficiency curve, if anyone cared about compute performance they'd spend $5ish to $10ish more dollars.