

Design Like No One Is Patenting — How SparkFun Stays Ahead of the Pack - zaaaaz
http://www.wired.com/design/2013/01/sparkfun-10-years/

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zoidb
I'm sure this is just a bad quote:

> “Every time I hear that a class of 8th graders are learning how to blink
> LEDs I realize that we’re making a difference,” says CEO Nathan Seidle

Or there is more to it than that, sometimes I do get the sense that the
explosion of using microcontrollers for hobby projects have been hammers
looking for nails to hit.

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HeyLaughingBoy
I used to think that, but then I realized I'm looking at the situation from a
privileged position as someone with an EE background.

In reality, if the overkill of using microcontrollers to blink LEDs leads
people to learn the fun of electronics and embedded programming, all the
better. In time, some of them will learn to work more efficiently and become
great engineers.

If getting more people interested in creating technology is the goal, does it
really matter what door they come in from?

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nickzoic
As much as I kind of hate to admit it ...

The cost to a hobbyist of an 8-pin 555 timer[1] is not significantly different
to the cost of an 8-pin TinyAVR[2] -- and the TinyAVR gives you a lot more
options -- so that's the way kids these days blink their LEDs :-)

[1] <https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9273>

[2] <https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9378>

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mdda
Plus the fact that at a school-level, the 555 is a completely black box.
Whereas the TinyAVR makes it easy for the more advanced students to 'go
explore'.

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tlrobinson
Maybe I'm wrong, but I suspect they _can't_ patent most of their products, as
they're mostly simple breakout boards and adapters.

~~~
zoidb
They seem to go out of their way to make their designs available to the
general public too which is something that wasn't common before.

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zenocon
Patents aside, I'm always amazed at how well Sparkfun does when their prices
are marked so ridiculously high...it seems like a business experiment to see
how much margin they can squeeze out of a customer.

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ersii
Well, they mostly sell individual pieces to individuals. Not to other
businesses.

They may be more expensive than ordering a million widgets from BigBulkCo -
but they're certainly cheaper than going to a retail shop.

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zenocon
Most of these individual pieces can be had through many other vendors for a
fraction of the cost. Volume isn't limiting factor here.

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ersii
Yes, that's certainly true.

In my experience, the other vendors in this case are Big Widget Co/Big Widget
Distributors Co's - like DigiKey, Farnell, Mouser.

Most of what's on Sparkfun, is cheaper there - than in my local retail shops.
Then again, I am being a bit silly - since I'll have to pay import tax, VAT
and such if ordering from Sparkfun.

