Actually the margin is more like $250 - the board, case, SD all cost about $145 
if you buy them from PCEngines.
My fleecing comment is based on the lack of a statement that says if you don’t 
want the support you can look at this model, or give an option to opt out of 
the support. Also calling it simply APU4 implies that it is 3 versions BETTER 
than their APU1C4 - it should be APU4-KIT or BUILT or something like that to 
differentiate between them.

I love my Alix. The base parts is a good price. The extra cost without other 
information is not a good business practice and is, indeed, trying to get 
people to spend more money on something that they don’t have to (not saying 
they shouldn’t) is bad.

I never ripped into him for that - he publicly told me to take it off the list 
when he should have privately. In fact I thought the message WAS private until 
my phone lit up with responses.
I’ve been on mailing lists since 1996 and I’ve never been called out like that 
publicly by a moderator without advance warning.

—
ryan


On Jul 22, 2014, at 22:30, Walter Parker <walt...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I see a few things going on here:
> 
> From the Netgate site, the difference between the APU1C and the APU1C4 DIY 
> kits is 2GB vs 4GB. 
> The Kits are $179 and $199 and include the board, a case and power plug.
> 
> The kit from PCEngines is just the board (I don't see any that says it comes 
> with a plug or a case). The plugs on PCEngines are not in stock.
> Some of the cases are out of stock.
> 
> Prior emails on this list have indicated that the older versions of the case 
> (for the alix) didn't quite fit the APU and therefore had a thermial problem 
> due to poor contact. The Netgate cases are the new style that doesn't have 
> the problem.
> 
> The assembled systems from Netgate are $299, which means the price breakdown 
> is:
> $179 for the Board, case and plug (PC Engines price for all of this is $150 
> if you order more than 500 units)
> $22 for the flash card
> $99 One year of pfSense support 
> 
> That leaves Netgate with a whole $6 over the price of the DIY kit (which was 
> <$30 more than PC Engines, but to get PC Engine's price, you have to buy 
> $75,000 worth of hardware).
> 
> 
> I bought my Alix from netgate and it was a good price. This new item is a 
> good price. You are unlikely to find the hardware for less money once you 
> include the $99 add on from pfSense support.
> 
> I did find Ryan's initial email to be a bit rude. What is it with people that 
> assume that because a company wants to make a profit that they are fleecing 
> people? The $6 margin on a $299 product hardly seem like a rip off (my time 
> is worth a lot more than that).
> 
> And you get a tested system with a warranty. 
> 
> Look at the prices for the Intel systems, they tend to run double once you 
> include all the features.
> 
> 
> And have some class, Jim is one of the good guys, doing great work with 
> Netgate and pfSense. Ripping on him because he asked that sales types 
> questions for a vendor product be sent to the vendor is not a bad request 
> (the pfSense vendors do read this list). 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 7:57 PM, Jim Thompson <j...@smallworks.com> wrote:
> 
> I am.  I have.
> 
> I'm trying to be patient and professional.
> 
> > On Jul 22, 2014, at 20:47, Sean Colins <s...@corequick.com> wrote:
> >
> > Who is the list mom and why is he/she not responding to this?
> >
> >> On Jul 22, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Ryan Coleman <ryanjc...@me.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Look fuck nut: branded and shipped hardware is 100% on topic. Thank you.
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Jul 22, 2014, at 20:10, Jim Thompson <j...@netgate.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Very little if this thread is related to pfSense.
> >>>
> >>> Please stay on topic.
> >>>
> >>> -- Jim
> >>>
> >>>>> On Jul 22, 2014, at 17:32, Chris Bagnall <pfse...@lists.minotaur.cc> 
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On 22/7/14 11:17 pm, Nickolai Leschov wrote:
> >>>>> I didn't notice this page. So it looks like it's some kind of thermal 
> >>>>> paste
> >>>>> allows for adequate thermal conductivity between the CPU/south bridge 
> >>>>> and
> >>>>> the aluminum heat spreader, but the heat spreader is in dry contact with
> >>>>> the case?
> >>>>
> >>>> The one I've just installed here in my home office has 'sticky' thermal 
> >>>> pads on both sides of the aluminium heat spreader, and sticks to both 
> >>>> the chips and the base of the chassis.
> >>>>
> >>>> It gets warm in use, but not uncomfortably hot. Ambient temperature is 
> >>>> about 22C at this time of year.
> >>>>
> >>>>> Now, how is the board held in place, inside the enclosure? Is it held in
> >>>>> place by 'screws and hex nuts'?
> >>>>
> >>>> 4 screws in the corners which go into binding posts on the chassis, not 
> >>>> particularly dissimilar from most PC motherboards into cases.
> >>>>
> >>>>> What is the thing in the second-to-last picture near the thumb of the
> >>>>> presenter's right hand: is it the SIM card tray? Is it accessible from
> >>>>> outside, after the installation?
> >>>>
> >>>> There is a SIM card tray, and like the SD card slot, no, it's not 
> >>>> accessible externally after installation.
> >>>>
> >>>> (as a matter of curiosity, does pfSense support this SIM card slot for 
> >>>> anything 'interesting'? - one presumes it would need to be used in 
> >>>> conjunction with a miniPCIe radio card of some persuasion)
> >>>>
> >>>> Kind regards,
> >>>>
> >>>> Chris
> >>>> --
> >>>> This email is made from 100% recycled electrons
> >>>> _______________________________________________
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> >>>> List@lists.pfsense.org
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> >
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> 
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> zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.   -- Justice Louis D. Brandeis
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