3 ms·

Who the hell wants to solder their own trackball? Equivalent products exist at roughly the same price point, fully assembled and tested with a warranty.

breckenedge 2mo ago
I get it doesn’t appeal to you. Why do you think it shouldn’t appeal to anyone?
- pudgywalsh 2mo ago
  Because there is nothing to be learned or gained from it. This isn't a Heath Kit from 1975. Electronics are fully integrated components now. You're paying for an experience. Typically DIY implies a cost-savings. It's like going to one of those restaurants where you have to cook your own steak at the table and realizing part-way through wtf am I doing?
  - squigz 2mo ago
    > It's like going to one of those restaurants where you have to cook your own steak at the table and realizing part-way through wtf am I doing? And yet, people keep going to these restaurants. Perhaps it's just that people find enjoyment in different ways than you.
  - matherial 2mo ago
    Do you also get upset when people buy Lego sets, model airplanes, or jigsaw puzzles? It's the same thing. And FWIW, it's the exactly same reason most people were buying DIY electronics kits in '70s, '80s, and '90s.
vincent-manis 2mo ago
I would never buy a kit that required soldering, because I'm terrible at it. But I like putting things together. I've assembled a couple of DIY keyboards, and I bought a Framework 12 laptop. It doesn't take too long (Framework estimated 15 minutes, but it was more like 45, because I am slow and methodical), and I like knowing what's inside it. The transition from “box of components” to “working system” always thrills me. And, though the repairability of a trackball is not a big issue, it's nice to know that what you put together can be taken apart, for example, to replace an SSD in a laptop.
- Loudergood 2mo ago
  Same.
dotancohen 2mo ago
Me
dgellow 2mo ago
You’re on Hacker News, lots of us like to solder our own devices and spend time tweaking things. I’m right now waiting for my e-scooter tire to complete its 3d print. It would have been cheaper and way faster to just replace my tubeless tire instead of designing a whole airless tire system, prototype, print, mount everything. But it’s a hobby
numpad0 2mo ago
There are zero upfront no-questions-asked 3D printing services as well as such PCB/PCBA manufacturing services, but not a Buy Now style Mechanical Turk assembly line service, yet. So you'll have to do the non-scalable work and do the literal manu-facturing when it comes to tiny volume cottage industry products with no cash or volume to foot and amortize upfront costs. Which can be bypassed or minimized if it's supposed to be a kit and you only have to bag some parts. Also it blurs areas of responsibility in favor of the shop.

breckenedge 2mo ago

I get it doesn’t appeal to you. Why do you think it shouldn’t appeal to anyone?

pudgywalsh 2mo ago
Because there is nothing to be learned or gained from it. This isn't a Heath Kit from 1975. Electronics are fully integrated components now. You're paying for an experience. Typically DIY implies a cost-savings. It's like going to one of those restaurants where you have to cook your own steak at the table and realizing part-way through wtf am I doing?
- squigz 2mo ago
  > It's like going to one of those restaurants where you have to cook your own steak at the table and realizing part-way through wtf am I doing? And yet, people keep going to these restaurants. Perhaps it's just that people find enjoyment in different ways than you.
- matherial 2mo ago
  Do you also get upset when people buy Lego sets, model airplanes, or jigsaw puzzles? It's the same thing. And FWIW, it's the exactly same reason most people were buying DIY electronics kits in '70s, '80s, and '90s.

vincent-manis 2mo ago

I would never buy a kit that required soldering, because I'm terrible at it. But I like putting things together. I've assembled a couple of DIY keyboards, and I bought a Framework 12 laptop. It doesn't take too long (Framework estimated 15 minutes, but it was more like 45, because I am slow and methodical), and I like knowing what's inside it. The transition from “box of components” to “working system” always thrills me. And, though the repairability of a trackball is not a big issue, it's nice to know that what you put together can be taken apart, for example, to replace an SSD in a laptop.

Loudergood 2mo ago
Same.

dotancohen 2mo ago

dgellow 2mo ago

You’re on Hacker News, lots of us like to solder our own devices and spend time tweaking things. I’m right now waiting for my e-scooter tire to complete its 3d print. It would have been cheaper and way faster to just replace my tubeless tire instead of designing a whole airless tire system, prototype, print, mount everything. But it’s a hobby

numpad0 2mo ago

There are zero upfront no-questions-asked 3D printing services as well as such PCB/PCBA manufacturing services, but not a Buy Now style Mechanical Turk assembly line service, yet. So you'll have to do the non-scalable work and do the literal manu-facturing when it comes to tiny volume cottage industry products with no cash or volume to foot and amortize upfront costs. Which can be bypassed or minimized if it's supposed to be a kit and you only have to bag some parts. Also it blurs areas of responsibility in favor of the shop.