Re: how is assembler outdated and by what?
The PIC assembler is fairly ancient (over 40 years old?), esp for 16x84 family. The the 8-bit PIC was developed in 1975 by GI. The later 16C84 (1985?) used essentially same Assembler, A version of the 16F84 (software compatible) is still sold.
I did SC/MP and then Z80 in 1980 and Intel 8051 in 1983. Also the NEC7800 (really primitive), I wrote a Forth like environment using MacroAssembler for the NEC7800. It was a shock trying the 16F8x family in 2003. I soon changed to C and then JAL for my PIC projects.
Compiler tech has improved so much that you don't need assembler for microcontrollers now, except the odd inline instruction to do something to a register not efficient in the language.
" x86 today, and one day try to program a 6502" If you mean an x86 in actual 8086 mode, no. Even the 286 just adds instructions so you can have flat memory model. The 386 a few more for virtual memory etc, basically based on 8080, which is same era as 6502 and maybe not as nice. The Acorn ARM team designing the new RISC cpu started with the 6502 as a sort of template!
ARM is MUCH nicer than evil x86.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
