I realize that. What I'm saying is that he/she could produce a second board with SMD components to replace the thru-hole passives, leaving only the insertion of

I realize that. What I'm saying is that he/she could produce a second board with SMD components to replace the thru-hole passives, leaving only the insertion of the chips to the end-user. I have an EE degree myself, but soldering has never been terribly enjoyable.