The problem is whether we can trust the supply chain in China / Shenzhen.
Buyers importing stuff for Walmart etc do not necessarily mean that know what they are doing. The buyer could just be someone with a business degree. I think they are also under pressure to do good deals, and we all know what can happen when you chase good deals.
There is no doubt that people in China making such boards can be innovative and can churn out good stuff. But for every one of those good players, there are those less scrupulous who want to get a slice of the revenue. I do think gmx got a good board -- but someone in the China marketplace can also easily clone that and feed cheaper stuff into the supply chain. Who can tell what is what?
Some companies appear to be able to enforce a certain standard of quality. IKEA gets things done in China and India etc, and generally those products are IKEA-standard. But the electronics supply chain? The equivalent would be getting stuff from Waveshare or Seeed Studio.
If we can trust that supply chain, I would be more willing to recommend these things rather than spout cautions and warnings all the time. But Picos are too popular and it's a bit like the Wild West out there.![:)]( "Smile")
[Edit] In the Wild West, you gotta have your wits about you. Assume everyone is looking out for your best interests? Nah. Decide on your appetite for risk. Those fake power MOSFETs in the other thread, it used to be that they never stock this kind of parts, but in the last year or two, online sellers have sprouted like mushrooms after rain, stocking very cheap power MOSFETs. It's sorta hobby parts and not melamine in foodstuff -- so nobody is going to clean house. Best learn skills to operate in the Wild West.
Buyers importing stuff for Walmart etc do not necessarily mean that know what they are doing. The buyer could just be someone with a business degree. I think they are also under pressure to do good deals, and we all know what can happen when you chase good deals.
There is no doubt that people in China making such boards can be innovative and can churn out good stuff. But for every one of those good players, there are those less scrupulous who want to get a slice of the revenue. I do think gmx got a good board -- but someone in the China marketplace can also easily clone that and feed cheaper stuff into the supply chain. Who can tell what is what?
Some companies appear to be able to enforce a certain standard of quality. IKEA gets things done in China and India etc, and generally those products are IKEA-standard. But the electronics supply chain? The equivalent would be getting stuff from Waveshare or Seeed Studio.
If we can trust that supply chain, I would be more willing to recommend these things rather than spout cautions and warnings all the time. But Picos are too popular and it's a bit like the Wild West out there.
[Edit] In the Wild West, you gotta have your wits about you. Assume everyone is looking out for your best interests? Nah. Decide on your appetite for risk. Those fake power MOSFETs in the other thread, it used to be that they never stock this kind of parts, but in the last year or two, online sellers have sprouted like mushrooms after rain, stocking very cheap power MOSFETs. It's sorta hobby parts and not melamine in foodstuff -- so nobody is going to clean house. Best learn skills to operate in the Wild West.
Statistics: Posted by katak255 — Fri Jan 17, 2025 1:58 am