I wasn't actually shopping for robot parts, but I see geeks.com has the
boe-bot robot kit (boe=Board of Education) for $59, in case anyone is
interested:
<http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid '60629&cpc=SCH>
(ObDisclaimer: I don't work for geeks.com, I've never played with this
kit, and I did not order one myself).
These are rumored to be overstocks and returns from Radio Shack, who
recently liquidated all their stock (along with the Vex robots). A
couple people on the Parallax forums had trouble, but most report new
merchandise and no problems. It's a great price while it lasts.
-- Gordon
$59 is a pretty good price, considering the kits retail for $149
directly from Parallax, and appear to have the stock BOE and BS2
module.
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id(132
They look new and all standard issue, so wondering what problems people
could have been having ???
BTW, I see PX has done it again. As a Boebot conversion, they take the
$8 Tamiya tread kit, and add 2 aluminum cutouts, and sell the package
for $34.
Like all liquidated merchandise you sometimes get product returns.
Apparently one purchaser got exactly that. His Boe had been assembled,
then taken apart, and the BS2 had two broken pins on it. So there is
that risk, but for $60 you could get two for less than the regular price
of one, and then have extra parts for any occasion. (Also, take note
that this is the older serial-based kit, so be sure you have a serial
port on your PC.)
In any case, this sale has been going on for at least a month now, and
the remaining stock is bound not to last for that much longer.
Ummmmm, like the Geeks.com Boe's, this has been out for a while, too,
Dan! <g> (Perhaps a year, if I recall.) You gotta surf more often!!
(You gotta love the markup, though. Even at full list for the treads,
which they certainly don't pay, it couldn't cost Parallax more than $2
for everything else in the quantities they usually produce. I would LOVE
350% markups on my stuff! Sheesh. What line do I get in for that gravy
train??...)
-- Gordon
The pricing isn't actually bad, considering that Parallax also sells
through resellers. It's standard practice for manufacturers to list a
product at 4X-6X over the manufacturing cost. Considering the
discounting Parallax probably gets from Tamiya (which they will NOT give
to a small OEM like me), their pricing is probably on the order of 4X
over cost. That leaves room for the customary 35-40% markup by
resellers.
-- Gordon
I think it's been mentioned, along with the Vex kits Radio Shack has
discontinued. It's all a part of the same consolidation RS has been
doing lately.
For people into Boe's there's Parallax's own forums, which are actually
more active than this group. Go where the action is, I guess.
-- Gordon
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