Embedded hardware developer/DSP programmer here:
An interesting turn in the life of the Arduino turned out to be that people used it not so much as an embedded processor, but as a peripheral extension of their laptops and desktops.
Laptops and desktops (with some exceptions...) simply don't have the peripherals (such as DACs, PWM, analog ins) which people need to deal with sensors and robotics. Therefore, Arduino's micro-peripherals were a welcome addition to the world.
Combining the workstation core (CPU) and network into one place gives the Arduino a greater level of autonomy than it used to have. It can now do much more without requiring that it's attached (tethered or "tumored") to a desktop.
Whether the price and features make it worthwhile is impossible to predict. We are in an explosion of microcontroller/embedded development right now and devices are coming out faster than people can fully learn to appreciate them (Commodore 64 junkie). It's probably best to pick the platform that has the strongest support community or the one you know the components of the best.
Laptops and desktops (with some exceptions...) simply don't have the peripherals (such as DACs, PWM, analog ins) which people need to deal with sensors and robotics. Therefore, Arduino's micro-peripherals were a welcome addition to the world.
Combining the workstation core (CPU) and network into one place gives the Arduino a greater level of autonomy than it used to have. It can now do much more without requiring that it's attached (tethered or "tumored") to a desktop.
Whether the price and features make it worthwhile is impossible to predict. We are in an explosion of microcontroller/embedded development right now and devices are coming out faster than people can fully learn to appreciate them (Commodore 64 junkie). It's probably best to pick the platform that has the strongest support community or the one you know the components of the best.