Re:The $9 CHIP Computer Is Shipping
by jdietrich on Friday September 25, 2015 @12:49AM
(#10276414)
The OrangePi omits the on-board flash and the wireless chipset, which represent a substantial proportion of the CHIP's BOM cost. The HDMI and Ethernet jacks add less than $1 to the OrangePi's BOM cost. The OrangePi team are based in Shenzhen, which is a big deal when you're trying to squeeze your suppliers.
The $6 difference in price is highly significant - a 66% increase is far from trivial. I can see how the OrangePi can be made at a small profit, assuming they're getting a decent price on the Allwinner H3 SoC. The CHIP simply doesn't add up at $9, even as a breakeven proposition.
Re:The $9 CHIP Computer Is Shipping
by makomk on Saturday September 26, 2015 @12:01PM
(#10283419)
Ethernet jacks are actually surprisingly expensive - I'm guessing due to some combination of the integrated transformer and the difficulty of manufacturing the connector - so the BOM cost could well be more than adding a wireless chip these days.
The $6 difference in price is highly significant - a 66% increase is far from trivial. I can see how the OrangePi can be made at a small profit, assuming they're getting a decent price on the Allwinner H3 SoC. The CHIP simply doesn't add up at $9, even as a breakeven proposition.