From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mail-vx0-f171.google.com (mail-vx0-f171.google.com [209.85.220.171]) (using TLSv1 with cipher RC4-MD5 (128/128 bits)) (Client CN "smtp.gmail.com", Issuer "Google Internet Authority" (verified OK)) by huchra.bufferbloat.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id CD9C7200627 for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:45:46 -0700 (PDT) Received: by vcbfl15 with SMTP id fl15so8766390vcb.16 for ; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:45:45 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=DTu+xeV7YF9BwtQfBtRH3oSMC9LVoFg6h7TU629iNmk=; b=oXCVP4t5MfyTj8mdvRpJkUvu0FPhssFfp9M5W6LuP0b9Ui7HDRkF3PNm+7K4Iba3Xm u48s3D193YA+SWNNgoEv/YbUVAadKcv66K8GCDhOIlN4BP5fQxTCORzbWoHZGiRtO2VG GHRp5HVAbMen/tGE+yldXCbqe/xPq5r5EafI08F6TyB5H7vClhRYhqLh7UQfcjFZUeJv QU6Z+Tcpqvfx02YpLfDrv8xjiWlsYksJF/TuX2vnJ+hXJMI9Z71/CRPwi6avaV09ORA/ 57dGQ0+jF9zHvGrfDKJthc4BpaKRYtLJW7AnPKhFE8gZS7qrYTUabaCWMljLi7RPvm7Z 0PpA== MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.52.26.176 with SMTP id m16mr15765264vdg.1.1331588745731; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:45:45 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.220.140.132 with HTTP; Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:45:45 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <20120312213723.GD17895@thyrsus.com> References: <20120312210345.GC17357@thyrsus.com> <20120312213723.GD17895@thyrsus.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:45:45 -0500 Message-ID: From: Patrick Maupin To: esr@thyrsus.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: thumbgps-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net Subject: Re: [Thumbgps-devel] Build vs. modify vs. what should we be doing anyway? X-BeenThere: thumbgps-devel@lists.bufferbloat.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.13 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:45:47 -0000 On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 4:37 PM, Eric S. Raymond wrote: > Good point. =A0Then, though, we're dealing with the risk that our supplie= r > will EOL the product we're blue-wiring. =A0I can tell you from experience > that consumer-grade GPSes like these have ridiculously short lifetimes. Which is why the most important thing is to get the process down of identifying what works and be able to vet a new device quickly. As I explained in my original posting, even high-dollar modules can get EOLed, and then you're out money on your PCB blanks. The only other alternative is to pick a reasonable build size and always build that many at a time. But the problem with that batch mode is that you're either carrying a lot of (more expensive than $23/unit) inventory, or you're always out of stock when somebody wants one, or (more likely) you oscillate between those two states.