To say that PIC micros are bound entirely within the scope of (hobbyist / amateur) market only is near border line ridiculous. The last thing on Microchip's mind is a $5 sale from a few hobbyists here and there. I'd hate to think of the cost involved to design these devices. Anyones guess is as good as mine, upwards of a few million?. C'mon, get real - there's simply just not enough amateurs around to be able to justify it. My guess is that only a few percent of sales are generated from the hobbyist. Microchip's intentions are obvious to me, give them half the chance and they'll probably give Intel a run for their money next.