> sucking up all the oxygen

Could you say a bit about what you mean by this? It's not at all clear to me why it matters to those who do "real" embedded development that there are hobbyists out there using a simplified platform (and, yes, perhaps developing some bad habits).

This is not to say I disagree, necessarily, that a competing platform that better introduces users to the complexities of embedded systems would be a bad thing. Though I'll also add that, as someone whose day-to-day work is very from from embedded development (I'm a lawyer), the Arduino platform has been great for leading me slowly into this world. I'm still a newb, but I've learned far more about embedded systems (and electrical engineering) than I think I ever would have otherwise. Personally, I think Arduino is a great way to learn both the basics and the complexities--you can accomplish something in a "rough and ready" way very very quickly, and then incrementally delve into the complexities as your interests (and needs of your project) demand.