Peter said -

> If you want to live in a backwater for electronic hardware development
then accept that there is an increasing cost. Kids today are not going into
electronics as they did in the 1960's - they are playing Quake.


and I say

Hey !!!
I'm in New Zealand!
You get some good designs coming out of NZ.
The best companies usually end up being bought out by US firms :-).
Note that a laaaaarge US GPS maker does most of its work here.
A large international wheelchair controller maker does likewise.

I'm currently reading email at  11pm instead of getting on with the overdue
program I'm developing for a company in Taiwan (Z8 based I'm afraid :-)).
NZ is OK for development but yes, there are some unenlightened suppliers.

I have good luck finding SOME who understand about international markets and
design here, build there, sell somewhere else. On the current job the local
agents for Zilog (REC Electronics (were GEC)) have been very helpful even
though the manufacture will be in Taiwan. They deserve a small plug here.

The trouble I have found with Avnet VSI is that the front end is DESIGNED to
be impenetrable to the small buyer and the front-end doesn't understand the
idea of a designer who doesn't buy in bulk. They are fine if you buy mega
dollars of parts from them (or so I'm told). There are some good capable
friendly people there but they are not accessible unless you have an account
and an "in" with them.

I use the net for much comparative pricing. Get Taiwan to provide pricing
when I'm near my target parts.
Thanks for the list of useful suppliers and information sources though.



regards


        Russell McMahon