Silly hardware prices

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It seems that prices for routers continue to drop.

Yesterday I decided to add a simple router to my lab, and bought a unit at the comp fair.

It is a 'cable' router, meaning that it doesn't have an ADSL modem inside. But it includes a 4 port switch and an USB printer server!

It has more options in the setup than I know what to do with, and some I will have to learn about (which was what this is all about after all!).

The price? New and boxed with manuals and CD. Just £15!

Harry

 

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You should have waited another week Harry, it would have been £10!

On a more serious note, you are correct that hardware prices seem to be dropping rapidly these days. Is this because of increased competition between manufacturers? Or because of the speed that Technology changes?

 

In my view it is because the integration of hardware is still going on.

Some years ago I suspect a router like the one I just bought would have had 100s of parts, and needed a design team to put together.

Now I suspect (I'm not going to open it just yet!) that there are just a few chips in there, and the chip manu will have published a reference design. So all the router manu has to do is a little branding, box-making, cheap printing and he is done!

Harry.

 

tell me how do you guys hear of these fairs? i would be interested cause im going to need to get some hardware for my lab when i come over to the uk...

 

Simon...on the same note as zimbo do u know of any computers in the Tyne and Wear area? I think maybe its time I went to one. I remember when I was getting parts to build my first PC, back then I got a motherboard for only £25 and it was a decent one too...£25 I couldnt believe it....anyway if I can get to computer fair very soon maybe I wont have to shop on eBay for much longer...might just have a look meself in the meantime..let me know wot u find Si...cheers...

 

@Noelg24

Take a look at this link. they run most, if not all of the fairs in the North East.

 

Nice one Si thanks...

 

Many fairs are advertised in MicroMart - a weekly ad mag.

The ones I go to (and man a help desk at) is Technofair and these are mostly near the SE quadrant of the M25.

Harry.