Video on Sparkfun Electronics giving away $100K in 1:45 hour

[Don McKenzie]

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...


--
Don McKenzie

Site Map: http://www.dontronics.com/sitemap
E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.dontronics.com/email
Web Camera Page: http://www.dontronics.com/webcam
No More Damn Spam: http://www.dontronics.com/spam

Product Sellout: 15% OFF 4DSystems OLED Displays & modules.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/micro-oled.html

 

[Mark Borgerson]

In article <7rp1r6Fr5kU1@mid.individual.net>, 5V@2.5A says...

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Good for Sparkfun. They've become my equivalent to Digi-Key when
I want modules, dev kits, and development hardware. If they
can afford a $100K online giveaway, I guess they're doing well
enough that they'll be around a while.

I was surprised at the number of people in the last part of
the video. It looks like they have 30 to 50 employees. That's
about 3 times what I would have guessed.


Mark Borgerson

 

[Chris Burrows]

"Mark Borgerson" <mborgerson@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.25c0fdf62c0b4a8989a39@news.eternal-september.org...

Good for Sparkfun. They've become my equivalent to Digi-Key when
I want modules, dev kits, and development hardware. If they
can afford a $100K online giveaway, I guess they're doing well
enough that they'll be around a while.

We've been impressed by their service. Great to see such a lively, energetic
and enthusiastic organisation.

I was surprised at the number of people in the last part of
the video. It looks like they have 30 to 50 employees. That's
about 3 times what I would have guessed.

Close, but higher. Have another guess!

"73 - The current number of Sparkfun employees (as I'm writing this...who
knows what it will be by the end of the week). We started 2009 with 50
employees. Pretty amazing!"

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/news.php?id=319

Chris Burrows
CFB Software
Armaide: ARM Oberon-07 Development System
http://www.armaide.com

 

[Andrew]

Don McKenzie wrote:

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

I tried to get in on the giveaway with poor results.
Two days earlier had registered and even had my cart
full and just needed checkout. Even had link to checkout.

Then tried to checkout ... clicking retry for 90 minutes.
Never got through.

Said there were 70,000 on site, but only 1,000 checked out.
Odds - 70:1

I'll skip next year.

 

[Mark Borgerson]

In article <hj8op1$ndj$1@speranza.aioe.org>, asmith@blackstone.biz
says...

Don McKenzie wrote:

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

I tried to get in on the giveaway with poor results.
Two days earlier had registered and even had my cart
full and just needed checkout. Even had link to checkout.

Then tried to checkout ... clicking retry for 90 minutes.
Never got through.

Said there were 70,000 on site, but only 1,000 checked out.
Odds - 70:1

I'll skip next year.


Since I'm ordering prototype parts for a business, their

cost is usually covered in a contract. Easy ordering
and prompt delivery is a lot more important than even the best
price break on $50 in parts. If I were really fully employed,
I'd have to get several hundred dollars worth of parts
to make 90 minutes of mouse clicks worthwhile. Still,
I might try it intermittently over a few hours just for
the heck of it. I certainly spend enough time browsing
their web site to pay for a few good restaurant meals (with
drinks) in lost time every month.


Mark Borgerson

 

[James]

"Don McKenzie" <5V@2.5A> wrote in message
news:7rp1r6Fr5kU1@mid.individual.net...

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

Another here who set the alarm to wake up at a ridiculous hour of the
morning to be repeatedly met with a message indicating the website could not
be contacted. I expected as much though, and to be honest I had trouble
finding something I wanted that couldn't just be ordered through work for a
legitimate purpose anyway. Good luck to them though. It was obviously a
spectacular success and I doubt they could have bought better advertising
for the $.

So what is the story with Littlebirdelectronics here in Aus anyway? are they
in some way affiliated with Sparkfun or just a coincidence that their
product range and website just bear a striking resemblemce to Sparkfun's?
I'd never heard of them before seeing their add / dse like cheat sheet on
last months SC.

Oh...by the way Don any idea when you'll have the TTL-232R-AJ interface
cables in stock? (Maybe I get some of them at the Dontronics free day too.
That will be coming up soon wont it? )

Regards

James








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[keithr]

On 21/01/2010 4:30 PM, Andrew wrote:

Don McKenzie wrote:

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

I tried to get in on the giveaway with poor results.
Two days earlier had registered and even had my cart
full and just needed checkout. Even had link to checkout.

Then tried to checkout ... clicking retry for 90 minutes.
Never got through.

Said there were 70,000 on site, but only 1,000 checked out.
Odds - 70:1

I'll skip next year.

I wonder how many who didn't get through in time thought "Oh bugger it"

and went on the buy the stuff that they were going to try and get for
free anyway.

 

[Chris Burrows]

"James" <dotatdot@tpig.com.au> wrote in message
news:4b581ae6$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...

So what is the story with Littlebirdelectronics here in Aus anyway? are
they in some way affiliated with Sparkfun or just a coincidence that their
product range and website just bear a striking resemblemce to Sparkfun's?

They are a Sparkfun distributor:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/distributors.php

--
Chris Burrows
CFB Software
Armaide: ARM Oberon-07 Development System
http://www.armaide.com

 

[don]

keithr wrote:

On 21/01/2010 4:30 PM, Andrew wrote:
Don McKenzie wrote:

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

I tried to get in on the giveaway with poor results.
Two days earlier had registered and even had my cart
full and just needed checkout. Even had link to checkout.

Then tried to checkout ... clicking retry for 90 minutes.
Never got through.

Said there were 70,000 on site, but only 1,000 checked out.
Odds - 70:1

I'll skip next year.

I wonder how many who didn't get through in time thought "Oh bugger it"
and went on the buy the stuff that they were going to try and get for
free anyway.

I sat in front of my computer for 3 hours _after_ the event and still
could not get through.

So, I gave up and waited two days later to order other things.

And I live only 10 miles from them !

don

 

[Don McKenzie]

James wrote:

So what is the story with Littlebirdelectronics here in Aus anyway? are they
in some way affiliated with Sparkfun or just a coincidence that their
product range and website just bear a striking resemblemce to Sparkfun's?
I'd never heard of them before seeing their add / dse like cheat sheet on
last months SC.

I have feelers out to see what the score is there.
I am also curious.

Oh...by the way Don any idea when you'll have the TTL-232R-AJ interface
cables in stock?

Had them on order for 2 months.
I hope to see them on my shelves in 1 or 2 weeks.

(Maybe I get some of them at the Dontronics free day too.

That will be coming up soon wont it? )

Free day was 1:45 hours.
I figured to line up with my 100th birthday. Isn't too long to wait!

I actually had a free order for my 100,000 hit to my site, but that was
in 1996? They had to capture the [100,000] screen counter to get the
free goods. Too long ago to remember who got it. I gave prizes for one
either side also.

Another silly story in progress:
http://www.dontronics.com/my_early_tote_years.html

Cheers Don...



--
Don McKenzie

Site Map: http://www.dontronics.com/sitemap
E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.dontronics.com/email
Web Camera Page: http://www.dontronics.com/webcam
No More Damn Spam: http://www.dontronics.com/spam

Product Sellout: 15% OFF 4DSystems OLED Displays & modules.
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/micro-oled.html

 

[keithr]

On 22/01/2010 12:28 AM, don wrote:

keithr wrote:
On 21/01/2010 4:30 PM, Andrew wrote:
Don McKenzie wrote:

Free Day recap of what it was like behind the scenes in the SparkFun
offices on January 7th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFayRF4M2c&feature=player_embedded
http://www.sparkfun.com

Cheers Don...

I tried to get in on the giveaway with poor results.
Two days earlier had registered and even had my cart
full and just needed checkout. Even had link to checkout.

Then tried to checkout ... clicking retry for 90 minutes.
Never got through.

Said there were 70,000 on site, but only 1,000 checked out.
Odds - 70:1

I'll skip next year.

I wonder how many who didn't get through in time thought "Oh bugger
it" and went on the buy the stuff that they were going to try and get
for free anyway.

I sat in front of my computer for 3 hours _after_ the event and still
could not get through.

So, I gave up and waited two days later to order other things.

And I live only 10 miles from them !

don

I worked out what I wanted, but, in the event, I couldn't be bothered to
get out of bed in the middle of the night to partake in what was always
going to be a mad scramble.

 

[keithr]

On 22/01/2010 8:15 AM, Don McKenzie wrote:

James wrote:

So what is the story with Littlebirdelectronics here in Aus anyway?
are they in some way affiliated with Sparkfun or just a coincidence
that their product range and website just bear a striking resemblemce
to Sparkfun's? I'd never heard of them before seeing their add / dse
like cheat sheet on last months SC.

I have feelers out to see what the score is there.
I am also curious.

Had a look at their website, not overwhelmed by their pricing. If you
are in a hurry and they have it in stock (not too many items at the
moment) then you could save possibly $10-15 over Sparkfun's express mail
option. Not in too much of a hurry, Sparkfun via first class mail is the
cheaper option.

Checked on a few mid price components ($60-70) your milage may vary.

 

[David L. Jones]

On Jan 21, 8:14 pm, "James" <dotat...@tpig.com.au> wrote:

So what is the story with Littlebirdelectronics here in Aus anyway? are they
in some way affiliated with Sparkfun or just a coincidence that their
product range and website just bear a striking resemblemce to Sparkfun's?

They are one of the multitude of Sparkfun resellers.

I'd never heard of them before seeing their add / dse like cheat sheet on
last months SC.

Littlebird started out distributing the Arduino in early 2007.

Dave.