I don't want to invest in one processor only to find out later that I needed USB2.0 instead of USB1.1, and then needing to read 500 pages of datasheets to move to a different platform.
Reading datasheets was nice at one point, but now it feels more like filling out tax forms.
It depends on what you're looking for. If you're doing hobbyist stuff, using Arduino libraries (or even Linux single-board computers) will get you a processor agnostic solution. However, if you're dealing with production in volume, using 95% of the capabilities of a 45 cent chip is much better than using 50% of the capabilities of a 2 dollar chip, and there's nothing that'll get you there besides dealing with hardware specific features (and therefore datasheets).
Volumes have to be very large to make up for R&D costs. For consumer stuff, maybe yes. In industry, it is quite normal to make <1000 pieces of some electronic instrument. In that case, optimizing on cents doesn't make sense.
The problem is that processor agnostic platforms have to follow the lowest common denominator. An agnostic USB library which works on both USB2.0 and USB1.1 microcontrollers is going to be limited to USB1.1 features.
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Personally, I want a processor agnostic platform.
I don't want to invest in one processor only to find out later that I needed USB2.0 instead of USB1.1, and then needing to read 500 pages of datasheets to move to a different platform.
Reading datasheets was nice at one point, but now it feels more like filling out tax forms.
It depends on what you're looking for. If you're doing hobbyist stuff, using Arduino libraries (or even Linux single-board computers) will get you a processor agnostic solution. However, if you're dealing with production in volume, using 95% of the capabilities of a 45 cent chip is much better than using 50% of the capabilities of a 2 dollar chip, and there's nothing that'll get you there besides dealing with hardware specific features (and therefore datasheets).
Volumes have to be very large to make up for R&D costs. For consumer stuff, maybe yes. In industry, it is quite normal to make <1000 pieces of some electronic instrument. In that case, optimizing on cents doesn't make sense.
The problem is that processor agnostic platforms have to follow the lowest common denominator. An agnostic USB library which works on both USB2.0 and USB1.1 microcontrollers is going to be limited to USB1.1 features.