Raspberry Pi Zero

[MK14]

Could it be that the sales volumes are too low, which is why there are so few of them available for sale ?

I.e. They may need to make a huge quantity of them, to get very good volume price discounts, so that they can buy the components at nice high volume, reduced prices and get the bulk manufacturing costs down, to such a low price point, of $5.

E.g. They need orders of 250K, 500K or even a million of them, to economically viably make them, and have not been able to get such large (guaranteed) orders yet.

I.e. It is a bit like an Integrated Circuit manufacturer (such as Maxim) to stop making a new Integrated Circuit, because of a lack of sales success in the market place. I.e. The sales volumes are way too low, to economically continue trying to sell and make the new chip, so they abandon it.

It is also possible the selling agents profit margin on a $5 item like that, is too low (or even non-existent), to make it worth their while, selling them in bulk.

As other(s) have said in this thread. It is strange that they don't sell them at a higher price (e.g. $10). But at least have them in stock and available for customers to buy as many as they want (i.e. NOT limited to 1 per customer).

[Kean]

How's this is not vapourware.

Very simple - it just doesn't come close to meeting the definition of vapourware 

vapourware is a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually manufactured nor officially cancelled

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware

Software or hardware that has been advertised but is not yet available to buy, either because it is only a concept or because it is still being written or designed.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/vapourware

[3db]

Well if Raspberry PI foundation is a charity, they have no commercial interest in sustainable manufacturing of the product. They wake up one morning and decide they better open a bakery. So the product will vaporize. How's this is not vapourware.

Do you doubt that they are a registered charity ?.
If Microsoft woke up tomorrow and decided to open a bakery. Would they be vapourware.
SO your point is ?
3DB

 

[brucehoult]

It is also possible the selling agents profit margin on a $5 item like that, is too low (or even non-existent), to make it worth their while, selling them in bulk.

The solution to that is very simple: sell them in 10-packs.

[MK14]

It is also possible the selling agents profit margin on a $5 item like that, is too low (or even non-existent), to make it worth their while, selling them in bulk.

The solution to that is very simple: sell them in 10-packs.

That would work if the item (PI Zero's) are available at a profitable bulk price to the distributors. But I think the problem here, is that they are NOT available at a suitably low bulk price, to make that a viable option, at the moment.

The distributors are probably making their profits on high one-off delivery charges and/or by selling other stuff with the PI Zero. So bulk 10 packs would not be profitable, if that is how the distributors are making their profits.

[tszaboo]

How's this is not vapourware.

Very simple - it just doesn't come close to meeting the definition of vapourware 

OK, then give me a better name for hardware, that is not available in high enough quantities!
There is no name for that. It took me more than a year to get my hands on one for 5 EUR, not dollar BTW.

[Kean]

OK, then give me a better name for hardware, that is not available in high enough quantities!
There is no name for that. It took me more than a year to get my hands on one for 5 EUR, not dollar BTW.

Successful?   

It is simple economics.  I don't think any company can sustainably produce it at that cost - so it has to be subsidised somehow.  As I understand it, the Foundation pays for production runs of the Pi Zero, unlike all the other models which are manufactured and sold by the distributors (RS, element14/embest).  The Foundation does want to make them available to the masses, but as soon as they were available they would all be snapped up by people or businesses with (often commercial/profit driven) ideas based around them.  That defeats the goals of the Foundation, especially if it eats into the profit from the other models which helps fund the foundation.

I actualy had to pay about AU$30 (~US22) each for my original ones (they came with some cheap accessories).  And to be honest I was just pleased to be able to get them.  Yes, if they were available to me in quantity at US$5 (or US$10, maybe even more) I'd be buying them by the box load.  I've designed my own low cost ARM Linux board (imx233, 64MB RAM, microSD boot), and so I have a fair idea of what goes into designing, manufacturing, distributing, and supporting these things.

Somewhat related, but the $9 C.H.I.P computer is also unavailable to purchase at present due to high demand, and now people are whining about that - god help us... https://getchip.com/

[Ian.M]

Its a great pity the foundation doesn't produce the Zero and Zero W at a realistic price to make a moderate profit + subsidise it to bona-fide educational institutions, registered students, and offer a one only per household (match shipping address OR credit card) special offer to attract new users.

[Kean]

I reckon they'd love to... but the logistics...

[Ian.M]

They'd probably have to use a single distributor for the end user one per household special offer.  Everything else could be handled by a typical large distributor's ordering system - they are usually already set up for one-off coupon codes which could be requested by educational institutions to be sent to registered students, and for discount codes that are tied to a secfic class of customer.

[rosak]

... and don't ship to Russia anyway.

Maybe that have to do with this STUPID embargo to Russian Federation?
Really don't know why they do that   

Not sure if that's the same case but I don't ship to Russia anymore too. I sell some stuff on eBay. I think I shipped my items to every single country in the world, some of them I didn't even know they exist. No problems at all. But on 10 items sent to Russia 5 didn't arrive. I had to resend on my own expense but buyers blamed me anyway. There was too much fuss about it so I excluded Russia from my shipping destination. And I'm not talking about bulky expensive parcels, just small light envelopes.

[brucehoult]

... and don't ship to Russia anyway.

Maybe that have to do with this STUPID embargo to Russian Federation?
Really don't know why they do that   

Not sure if that's the same case but I don't ship to Russia anymore too. I sell some stuff on eBay. I think I shipped my items to every single country in the world, some of them I didn't even know they exist. No problems at all. But on 10 items sent to Russia 5 didn't arrive. I had to resend on my own expense but buyers blamed me anyway. There was too much fuss about it so I excluded Russia from my shipping destination. And I'm not talking about bulky expensive parcels, just small light envelopes.

My experience after two years living in Moscow: anything with tracking with a company such as DHL arrives, every time. Regular letters and things like magazines arrive. Interesting looking packages without tracking have a high chance of not arriving :-(

[BroMarduk]

Somewhat related, but the $9 C.H.I.P computer is also unavailable to purchase at present due to high demand, and now people are whining about that - god help us... https://getchip.com/

Looks like Next Thing Co. is coming out with an "upgraded" C.H.I.P..   Might have be the reason for the short supply as well.   

https://getchip.com/