Originally Posted by kinjalgp

The other reason of popularity is I guess the cost of 8051 MCUs as compared to AVR/PICs (may not be true for other countires but atleast in India it is true). Over here an Atmel 89C51 costs a mere Rs. 55 while 16F877 cost Rs. 270. Similarly 89C2051 is available for Rs. 45 while 16F628 is available for Rs. 90 !! This is the reason why I see 8051 more popualar among enthusiasts, hobbyists and even professionals.

the same is the case here in pakistan. the 89C51 costs Rs.75 and the 16F877 costs Rs.400

the programmer for PIC microcontrollers costs Rs.2000 whereas the 8051 programmer costs Rs.800

so the cost is by and large the biggest factor in choosing 8051 over PICs or AVR. but the people in industrial development prefer PIC like for biomedical instruments and solid state energy meters.