Keith makes a good point on the distinction between "amateur" and "professional". "Amateur" in its strict sense means one who loves a pursuit; the word is not automatically synonymous with "novice" or "shoddy".

When I was starting out with microcontrollers and microprocessors, it meant devices like the 8008 (and the 4004), 8080, and 8085. (That was a really long time ago!)

In the early and middle 1980s, I remember hearing some "professionals" (other engineers) sneer at the Z-80 as a "toy". ("Amateurs" had started using them.)

I had the opportunity, earlier this month, to spend 5-1/2 days at MicroChip's 11th annual Masters Conference and PreConference in Phoenix--about 44 in-class hours, most with labs. And I got to mingle with 800 other engineers, many from other countries, who are using PICs daily in every imaginable application design.