michael brown wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Newland" <ape@ESKIMO.COM>
> To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
> Sent: Friday, May 25, 2001 6:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [OT]: PIC programming job
>
> > Just for the fun of it, I have already written the program in 3.5 hours
> (it was
> > more of an exercise on seeing how long it would take rather than if I
> could do
> > it).  I did it for the 12C671 (< $2).  I figure that I have about another
> 3.5 to
> > 4.5 hours to breadboard something up really quick, debug it, fine tune the
> > timing values, test everything, and document it.  Based on this, I was
> better
> > able to send my own estimate on price.  I was once told that the ammount
> one
> > should charge for a contract was equal to 1.5 times what you could get as
> an
> > employee somewhere doing the same thing (at least for starters).
>
> Did you get the contract?  Thank you kindly for the input.  This is a new
> area for me.  Currently, I do my own thing (this is also my first attempt at
> self-employment) running service calls and network installs, internet
> sharing, and internet security solutions.  But, I am trying to move more to
> the consulting end of things and away from the running-myself-ragged thing.
> It's been my experience that the harder you work, the less you make.

I think it was about 11 AM here in Seattle when James forwarded message came
thru.  Needless to say that I think the customer is in England, or Scottland, or
some other Europe area like that.  Figure about 9 hours difference and that puts
it about 8PM on a Friday night.  I don't expect a response soon.

I'm kind of in the same boat as you except I'm coming from a hardware point of
view.  Used to be a programmer MANY years ago but I wanted to get high off the
rosin fumes.  Now with everything going to a software solution, I find myself
behind the desk more often again.  However, I still do find areas where a
hardware solution is still better than a software solution.

>  Ahhh, the smell of burning rosin, the tiny pinpricks of
> twisting wire, and of course (not to beat a dead horse) the "one time"
> (amazing how that works) occurrence of picking up a soldering iron from the
> wrong end.

Mine problem is butter fingers.  Grab the soldering iron .... drop the soldering
iron ... go buy new pair of pants....

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