 It outperformed the more-complex 6800 and Intel 8080, but cost much less and was easier to work with.Although it did not have the 6501's advantage of being able to be used in place of the Motorola 6800 in existing hardware, it was so inexpensive that it quickly became more popular than the 6800, making that a moot point.The 6502 was so cheap that many people believed it was a scam when MOS first showed it at a 1975 trade show.