Hmmph. I'd just ordered some ATtinys from Newark at "sale" (but higher) prices.
Now, does that $0.27 price mean that that chip is about to go away, like the $0.25 ATtiny11s did some years back?
The ATtiny48-mu is 45c at Newark. The ATtiny88-mu is $1/qty 10 @Digikey, with 46,000 for "Qty available". The t48/88 datasheet revision history leads me to believe the chip was announced in 2008. Has Atmel discontinued other chips with little more than 6 years on the market?
Given the number of parts on sale, I don't think the sale listing can be taken as any indication of a part being discontinued.
How's this for a theory:
Many (most?) manufacturers give volume rebates. Suppose Atmel gives rebates quarterly based on sales levels. And suppose if Newark sells 10,000 Attiny88-mu in a quarter, they get a 5c/unit rebate. If the regular price they pay is 35c, and they've already sold 9000 this quarter, their COGS is $3150. If they sell 1000 more at 27c before the end of the quarter, their total COGS after the rebate is $3000, so the marginal cost on the last 1000 is actually negative.