BUG price :( » BUG Community

Jan 5, 2008 9:06pm

David 15 posts

When I saw the BugLabs picure on the makezine blog, i was quite happy, coz i knew the prices are announced, well…. not for long
when i saw only the bugbase costs 300$ a little bit of my heart died…
calculating the price of a whole set of all the modules and a bugbase (almost 600$), i almost felt like crying :(

i was so sure i was going to get it sooner or later, but now… i dont really think i want it :(

Jan 5, 2008 9:23pm

denotsko 1 post

It’s a shame that you missed the point by so much. The idea is that the lage initial investment would stil be cheaper in the long run. Once you add up all the little things you have laying around doing nothing, the BUG is cheaper.

Jan 6, 2008 8:30am

David 15 posts

no, i got that bug is a multifunciaonal thing that can be used to replace alot of other electronics, but i thought like the whole set of 4 modules and a bugbase would be like 400$, not 600

Jan 8, 2008 10:49am

jonsmirl 3 posts

Compare bug to the Efika.

I can’t post URLs, go to directron dot com and search for Efika
Bare board Efika is $99 (ignore the sale, it is always $99)
With case and power supply, $174

Efika is PowerPC based and it has been around for about three years. It uses the Freescale MPC5200 which is about 80% of an MX31. MPC5200 costs $4 less than MX31L. MX31L FPU is 3x faster, int operations are about the same.

Chumby, chumby dot com, went through similar problems, it was originally targeted at $99 and it recently shipped at $179. It uses a Freescale MX21. The screen is what drove the cost up.

So Bugbase seems a little high. But that may be to give them room for educational discounts. Efika doesn’t give educational discounts. Maybe Bug should do a "buy one give one" program like the OLPC and drop the educational discounts.

Jan 8, 2008 7:07pm

David 15 posts

yup, jon… i already suggsted that there could be an educational program

Jan 9, 2008 1:19am

oceanic 6 posts

David

... i was so sure i was going to get it sooner or later, but now... i dont really think i want it :(

I still want it but can't afford it. For a third-world guy earning in third-world currency, $600 is more than half a month's salary for me.

I don't think second hand bugs will be around soon. :)

Jan 14, 2008 11:04am

cdraptor 25 posts

Okay, I think the price is well in-line considering from what I am reading in the specs this little unit provides. Comparitively I have been messing with the gumstix and the Java SunSPOTs. I am very excited about the BUGbase having built in Wi-Fi. The add-on modules look extremely easy to implement without having to do a bunch of soldering – which for me is nice I hate the electirical engineering side of thing and prefer to stick to the coding. I think $300 is a steal and the modules are all coming in under $100, that’s fantastic – I plan on buying everything, I just hope they do well and keep making new modules – BT module maybe, Gyro, Sonar range sensors, Enviromental sensors – Vibration, Temp, Light, etc.

Also hopeful that the commnity will grow and that Bug will provide a module housing unit with specs that will let electical engineers create custom modules (maybe some of the above will occur).

Jan 15, 2008 3:48am

sintau.tayua 1 post

Yea, I have to admit that I was shocked at the price. However, when I looked back at what was being offered for that price, it does seems worth it. Now I just have to convince my parents. . .

Three cheers for making this product – very cool idea, especially having modules.

Jan 15, 2008 6:29pm

David 15 posts

how will you convince your parents to buy you a 600$ BUG? i know i couldnt

Jan 21, 2008 7:27pm

dudenz 5 posts

As I am a student I have to live of 600 euros a month. Even if the $600 would be like 400 euros, it still is quite some time to save enough. So I my hope is on the student offers.

Jan 22, 2008 7:37am

whaleforest 7 posts

I’m a Bug Fans from China,has graduate from Fine arts collage.
299$ is a month’s salary for me,,,aha.that’s shame.

I use Arduino and Wiring to do some work.that’s cheap for me.But i want one Bug anyway.

So that mean,i should eating less and drinking less to save the money to get Bug.

Anyway i wise Bug will be cheap in the future,then more and more people can get it.

BUG Community

Welcome! Log In

Forums → BUGbase → BUG price :(

Log in to reply to this topic

Log in to reply to this topic

Jan 5, 2008 9:06pm David 15 posts	When I saw the BugLabs picure on the makezine blog, i was quite happy, coz i knew the prices are announced, well…. not for long when i saw only the bugbase costs 300$ a little bit of my heart died… calculating the price of a whole set of all the modules and a bugbase (almost 600$), i almost felt like crying :( i was so sure i was going to get it sooner or later, but now… i dont really think i want it :(
Jan 5, 2008 9:23pm denotsko 1 post	It’s a shame that you missed the point by so much. The idea is that the lage initial investment would stil be cheaper in the long run. Once you add up all the little things you have laying around doing nothing, the BUG is cheaper.
Jan 6, 2008 8:30am David 15 posts	no, i got that bug is a multifunciaonal thing that can be used to replace alot of other electronics, but i thought like the whole set of 4 modules and a bugbase would be like 400$, not 600
Jan 8, 2008 10:49am jonsmirl 3 posts	Compare bug to the Efika. I can’t post URLs, go to directron dot com and search for Efika Bare board Efika is $99 (ignore the sale, it is always $99) With case and power supply, $174 Efika is PowerPC based and it has been around for about three years. It uses the Freescale MPC5200 which is about 80% of an MX31. MPC5200 costs $4 less than MX31L. MX31L FPU is 3x faster, int operations are about the same. Chumby, chumby dot com, went through similar problems, it was originally targeted at $99 and it recently shipped at $179. It uses a Freescale MX21. The screen is what drove the cost up. So Bugbase seems a little high. But that may be to give them room for educational discounts. Efika doesn’t give educational discounts. Maybe Bug should do a "buy one give one" program like the OLPC and drop the educational discounts.
Jan 8, 2008 7:07pm David 15 posts	yup, jon… i already suggsted that there could be an educational program
Jan 9, 2008 1:19am oceanic 6 posts	David ... i was so sure i was going to get it sooner or later, but now... i dont really think i want it :( I still want it but can't afford it. For a third-world guy earning in third-world currency, $600 is more than half a month's salary for me. I don't think second hand bugs will be around soon. :)
Jan 14, 2008 11:04am cdraptor 25 posts	Okay, I think the price is well in-line considering from what I am reading in the specs this little unit provides. Comparitively I have been messing with the gumstix and the Java SunSPOTs. I am very excited about the BUGbase having built in Wi-Fi. The add-on modules look extremely easy to implement without having to do a bunch of soldering – which for me is nice I hate the electirical engineering side of thing and prefer to stick to the coding. I think $300 is a steal and the modules are all coming in under $100, that’s fantastic – I plan on buying everything, I just hope they do well and keep making new modules – BT module maybe, Gyro, Sonar range sensors, Enviromental sensors – Vibration, Temp, Light, etc. Also hopeful that the commnity will grow and that Bug will provide a module housing unit with specs that will let electical engineers create custom modules (maybe some of the above will occur).
Jan 15, 2008 3:48am sintau.tayua 1 post	Yea, I have to admit that I was shocked at the price. However, when I looked back at what was being offered for that price, it does seems worth it. Now I just have to convince my parents. . . Three cheers for making this product – very cool idea, especially having modules.
Jan 15, 2008 6:29pm David 15 posts	how will you convince your parents to buy you a 600$ BUG? i know i couldnt
Jan 21, 2008 7:27pm dudenz 5 posts	As I am a student I have to live of 600 euros a month. Even if the $600 would be like 400 euros, it still is quite some time to save enough. So I my hope is on the student offers.
Jan 22, 2008 7:37am whaleforest 7 posts	I’m a Bug Fans from China,has graduate from Fine arts collage. 299$ is a month’s salary for me,,,aha.that’s shame. I use Arduino and Wiring to do some work.that’s cheap for me.But i want one Bug anyway. So that mean,i should eating less and drinking less to save the money to get Bug. Anyway i wise Bug will be cheap in the future,then more and more people can get it.