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this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024
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I was already planning on never buying another Pi based on how they fucked over consumers in favor of business customers during the shortages. This only reinforces it. Companies going public irreversibly eradicates any and all consumer value in favor of shareholders and I do not support any company that actively chooses that path. Fuck 'em. I'll just buy random chinese SBC's instead...
For the record I’m not for the IPO.
Working in hardware, this is a shit take. If you’re saying a hobbiest should be prioritized over keeping a paycheck coming to employees at a firm that rely on rpi parts being delivered, umm…
WITH priority as a giant customer (not with rpi, but multi billion accounts) we still were facing 72+ week lead times for components. A smaller company, more likely to use an rpi as an integral part of their widget, would be facing MUCH longer. That means manufacturing halt, and going under.
Should they have taken on industrial costumers in the first place? That’s another question. But to say my octopi server has priority over someone being able to feed their family is bullshit. Not only that but industry customers keep volumes high, allowing for lower end prices.
It's not even about the paycheck though- because we are assuming that all units shipped are being sold at the same MSRP. It wouldn't matter who they sold to, they were gonna get paid the same regardless of buyer if they were selling more than they could produce.
A simple way to handle the shortage would just be to ship first to order, first to ship. But no, Pi outright said they would not ship to consumers, only corporate customers, until the shortage ended. That is what burned up my goodwill, because it proves they don't actually care about any open source community farther than their wallet can be thrown. The IPO only reinforces that greed motive, and I will not be buying their products.
Again, I’m against the IPO. Never brings good.
I don’t disagree with your points re:fairness and the community goodwill.
I think they still are the only game in town for my usecases. The support and “just works” factor is unmatched.
And with the Hock Tan era Broadcom, you’re not going to see another bcm based design upstart.
Hopefully RISC-V can ramp up and provide a viable alternative in the near term, with an AMD or something willing to provide some resources.