The RP2040 is definitely powerful compared to other controllers, so much that it is bordering "general computing" applications. It feels like it is one push away from being able to run e.g. ucLinux which would put it in another category entirely.
Today, there are "computers" that are being used as $0.05 timers running at 32kHz clock. RP2040 is aiming at the $1.5ish price point and is somewhat appropriate for the task. (I think that most of the Cortex-M32, M22, and M0+ competitors are a bit more pragmatic with regards to more capabilities in a single chip... but RP2040's niche is external flash, USB and a few other tidbits that hobbyists like)
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"General Purpose Compute" is like $5 to $15. ESP32 still isn't quite there IMO despite being larger than RP2040. I'm thinking you want something like TI's AM335x or NXP's i.MX6 processors.
IMO anyway. But every price point from 5-cents to $15 has an option. The embedded world is extremely competitive. There will be that $6 processor with exactly the features you need to perform exactly the task you want. And a different processor at $3.50 that solves a different niche, and another processor at $11. Etc. etc.
> ucLinux which would put it in another category entirely.
A general purpose compute processor should support external RAM and external Flash for maximum flexibility for different tasks. That way, one die can be used in many different projects.
Cost-optimized processors, like what the RP2040 and its bretherin in the Cortex-M0+ cost tier, are here for people who "can't afford" an external memory interface. Either due to power-constraints (external RAM costs more power) or cost-constraints (straight up dollars).
The minute we hit $5+, we start seeing external memory interfaces supporting older 128MB DDR3 RAM and such and compute-capabilities per dollar shoots up dramatically. There's no point trying to compete against the $5 market with $1.50 chips. And forget uCLinux, these babies just run full on Linux (albeit with far less RAM/compute than a normal computer...)
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Like: 50-cents of NOR-flash just doesn't get you as far as a microSD card sorta thing. RP2040 is still on the "low-cost" side of the efficiency curve, if anyone cared about compute performance they'd spend $5ish to $10ish more dollars.
For many, if not most, embedded MCU applications I would think that dual core at 133MHz is powerful.