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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Micro Groundhog day

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zeitfest
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Joined: 31/07/2019
Location: Australia
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Posted: 01:31pm 16 Sep 2024
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Are we in tech "Groundhog day" ?

We seem to be at the same stage as about two years ago...repeating it.
Plenty of hype as usual, I am starting to think there are zombie vendors as they seem
to be active but not extant !!

Personally I am getting sick of it.
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 01:35pm 16 Sep 2024
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Any particular vendors?

John
 
Volhout
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Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
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Posted: 01:38pm 16 Sep 2024
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Huh ?

Please explain. Groundhog day ? Vendors ?

Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
PhenixRising
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Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 857
Posted: 04:46pm 16 Sep 2024
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  Volhout said  Huh ?

Please explain. Groundhog day ? Vendors ?

Volhout


"Groundhog day" Same day keeps repeating
 
Volhout
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Posted: 05:31pm 16 Sep 2024
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I found Groundhog Day, but I am missing zeitfest link to vendors.
Is the STM32 series out of stock again?

Volhout
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 06:04pm 16 Sep 2024
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Nucleo?


 
matherp
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Joined: 11/12/2012
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Posted: 06:07pm 16 Sep 2024
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  Quote  Is the STM32 series out of stock again?


LCSC have them in the thousands
 
zeitfest
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Location: Australia
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Posted: 09:45pm 16 Sep 2024
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ads presented by Google on this bbs ...







ed - Is whitewizard or bigmik back as a seller ?
Edited 2024-09-17 07:56 by zeitfest
 
TassyJim

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Posted: 10:52pm 16 Sep 2024
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  zeitfest said  ads presented by Google on this bbs ...


Not Google ads.
VK7JH
MMedit   MMBasic Help
 
Bleep
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Joined: 09/01/2022
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 509
Posted: 07:34am 17 Sep 2024
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Effectively, put there at the request of the users of this forum and not exactly intrusive.
see this thread
Edited 2024-09-17 17:46 by Bleep
 
zeitfest
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Posted: 08:34am 17 Sep 2024
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No problem with the Google ads.

A while ago there were some people supplying pcbs and/or kits.  Jaycar and ALtronics did supply Maximite kits but did not continue into the Micromite or after. I think Grogster was willing to continue supplying small quantities mainly for CMM2 and Micromites but others like Circuitgizmos, whitewizard, bigMik all dropped out usually for health or financial reasons.

It is worth reading this thread  

  Quote  [Grogster] During development, Peter was writing the code, and I was to sell into Australia and New Zealand, WhiteWizard was to sell into the UK marker, CircuitGizmos was to sell into the USA market, and PSlabs did anyone else.



Now the processor platform has changed to pico and again to pico2, and we see ads implying that there is an ongoing pipeline, but there is not.

So, the point is that although the processor has changed, the situation is basically the same or backwards.
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 08:48am 17 Sep 2024
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For me, it's mind blowing what we can get for such little money (coming from an ex-boater ). I remember the sticker-price for the IBM PC back in 1984.

But here, we still get moans and groans about a few quid.

The guys who attempted to bring these things to market don't stand a chance because there are costs that need to be covered.
 
matherp
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Posted: 08:56am 17 Sep 2024
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The world has changed.
I (and others) post gerbers/BOM/P+P for all my designs and all anyone needs to do is open the JLC website and paste them into it to get fully built boards delivered to your door. No middle man needed and no markup. This can be most cost effective when a group (geographically based) gets together to buy more than the minimum order quantity (2).
If we take the example of the CMM2, I've reworked the board to value engineer the design so that you can now order it fully built from JLC at a fraction of the price of the original.
Alternatively you can order many of the boards through Grogster who takes the financial risk of ordering boards, packages them with boxes, end-plates, demo s/w etc. and sells them for a minimal markup as a service to the community.
The situation is definitely not backwards - this is a hobbiest world and the tools at the individuals finger tips are now totally different from even 2 years ago.
Edited 2024-09-17 19:11 by matherp
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
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Posted: 01:53pm 17 Sep 2024
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The various people who post gerbers, code & so on are incredibly generous and I think (hope) are much appreciated.

Thankfully, doesn't remind me of Groundhog Day.

John
 
PhenixRising
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Posted: 02:53pm 17 Sep 2024
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  JohnS said  The various people who post gerbers, code & so on are incredibly generous and I think (hope) are much appreciated.


Beyond words, John.

Never had so much fun and totally addicted to this stuff and at it seven days a week, including holidays.

Just wish I had the skills to contribute.

Only receiving kinda sucks.
 
PeteCotton

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Joined: 13/08/2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 368
Posted: 03:20pm 17 Sep 2024
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  zeitfest said  A while ago there were some people supplying pcbs and/or kits.  Jaycar and ALtronics did supply Maximite kits but did not continue into the Micromite or after. I think Grogster was willing to continue supplying small quantities mainly for CMM2 and Micromites but others like Circuitgizmos, whitewizard, bigMik all dropped out usually for health or financial reasons.
...

Now the processor platform has changed to pico and again to pico2, and we see ads implying that there is an ongoing pipeline, but there is not.

So, the point is that although the processor has changed, the situation is basically the same or backwards.


  matherp said  I (and others) post gerbers/BOM/P+P for all my designs and all anyone needs to do is open the JLC website and paste them into it to get fully built boards delivered to your door. No middle man needed and no markup.
...
If we take the example of the CMM2, I've reworked the board to value engineer the design so that you can now order it fully built from JLC at a fraction of the price of the original.


I can attest to this. I posted in another thread that I ordered five CMM2 boards, fully populated from JLC. It was a painless process (so painless that I assumed I must have missed something). They're due to arrive on Thursday, once I test them I'll post an update to that thread. Now to be clear, I know next to nothing about PCBs and how to order them, so if an idiot like me can do - anyone can.

To be honest, even ordering five of them is exciting. I have a couple that are spoken for by friends and family, but at such a low cost (it worked out to about $60 Canadian per computer - that's $44 USD, 40 Euros or 33 quid) for a machine that is basically the modern BBC Micro on steroids, it's an absolutely staggering deal.

Heck, even if I bought all 5 and only used one - it would still be significantly cheaper than projects like the Commander X16. Maybe I should make a multi-player game with a CMM2 dedicated to each player......   It'd be cheap enough to build.
 
PhenixRising
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Joined: 07/11/2023
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 03:42pm 17 Sep 2024
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Pete,

Remember before the internet, between the US and Canada we had those trivia terminals?

Those were fun days.

I have often wondered about sticking mini retrogame consoles in pubs where people can challenge each other.

Much more fun than the phone stuff.

Build 'em and lease 'em.

(coming from the guy who has never played a video game  )
 
PeteCotton

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Posted: 03:51pm 17 Sep 2024
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  PhenixRising said  Pete,
..
I have often wondered about sticking mini retrogame consoles in pubs where people can challenge each other.

Much more fun than the phone stuff.

Build 'em and lease 'em.


I have built quite a few arcade machines (for home use) over the last few decades. It has been an ongoing thought/dream to design/build ones with CMM2's inside. It's the perfect platform - and as long as you're not using anyone else's licensed IP (names, sprites etc.) - it's perfectly legal to put them in a pub/restaurant (with your own games programmed in).

Making a pair/quad group for people to play against each other would be fantastic fun. The old Commodore 64 game "Spy vs Spy" is a perfect example of how this gameplay makes for a great time (setting booby-traps in rooms for the other player to trigger). Being able to do something like that with your own private screen would be even more fun.
Edited 2024-09-18 01:53 by PeteCotton
 
JohnS
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Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3800
Posted: 04:08pm 17 Sep 2024
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  PhenixRising said  Only receiving kinda sucks.

As far as I can see you _do_ contribute but in any case people who create things like MMBasic & gerbers etc generally speaking _want_ them used.

It's especially good if the use helps test or identify additional functionality that would make things better.

Speaking for myself, many years ago a user of something I wrote sent me a message that he'd put two of his kids through college using it. Great!!  (I didn't charge royalties and it was a quite cheap thing to buy from me - and I did OK from it.)

John
 
stanleyella

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Joined: 25/06/2022
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Posts: 2120
Posted: 04:22pm 17 Sep 2024
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I got a https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204961040148
but not used as no mmbasic support
I got a https://www.olimex.com/Products/MicroPython/RP2040-PICO-PC/open-source-hardware
and do use it just because mmbasic supports it.
if mmbasic supported the esp32 board would it be popular and would we be using it?
this applies to many ground hog day boards
and there's other films where time reoccurs
 
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