MSP430

Texas Instrument's MSP430 Micro-controller line is very interesting for low-power consumption uses as well as low-cost ones. For the price of an 8bit micro-controller you get a 16 bit one, with up to 25Mhz! The low-end value line chips (included in the TI Launchpad) are a god start in this line, permitting to start to envision the possibilities. The Launchpad itself can be used as a programmer for a lot of the MSP430 chips, making for a very very low entry ticket cost.