Thanks for the compliment, Mike. Just to add some changed I've observed 
since the quoted message:

> 1) Texas Instruments:
> 
> Excellent sampling service; about 90% or so of their inventory, I'd guess.
> Ships next-day (Digi-Key handles their orders, so extremely well-packed).
> Upto 8 parts per order: max 10 digital logic, max 3 analog/power/AD/etc, max
> 1 dsp/expensive power stuff like one-piece heavy duty buck/boost stuff, etc.
> Upto 6 orders in any 6 month period. They certainly get a lot of goodwill
> with such an efficient/painless system; I'm certain they'll be my first
> choice for a lot of stuff when I actually go on to design stuff.

TI upped the non-digital-logic limit to 5 or so samples/order. If you 
say you're with a university on the final page before the order is 
submitted, they send UPS Ground. Otherwise they still ship Next-Day.

> 3) Maxim/Dallas Semi:
> 
> These guys have pretty much all their inventory up for sampling. Shipping is
> dead slow; they usually get parts in from S/E Asia to their facility in
> California and then ship them USPS First Class; usually takes 10-14 days for
> me (incl. weekends). They have limits, I don't remember them. No limit on
> orders.

If you add in the notes a larger (but still reasonable!) number than the 
max quantity, they most probably will be happy to send it.

> 6) ON Semiconductor
> 
> Everyone else seems to be forgetting these guys. Motorola spinoff. Very good
> sampling selection; some digital logic, lots and lots of discretes, power
> stuff, decent opamps, etc. 10 parts per week; maximum limit on no. of items
> varies depending on part price; anywhere from 5 (for $5 switch debouncers,
> which I got just for curiosity's sake) to 50 (cheap MOSFETs, bipolars,
> rectifier/Schottky diodes, etc.)

ON went to a National-type model, although National is still the 
crappiest. Shipping (ground; faster options may exist for more money) is 
a flat $10 for EVERYBODY, including students. This can include upto 10 
line items; the max quantities are now from 5 (expensive parts) to 25 
(TO-92 BJTs, etc.).

> 7) Microchip
> 
> Pretty much everything's available. 1 order every 3 months (though someone
> said that changed recently), 5 parts per order, max 3 items. Ships Fedex
> Intl Priority from Thailand, *once* they actually ship it; 3 days-10 days
> has been my experience.

I think you're now limited to 1 order per month? What I hate is when 
there is one part that holds up your entire order for weeks on end, if 
not months. Beware of ordering other stuff you might need with any order 
containing a dsPIC!

NEW) Intersil

I only used them to get some H-bridge & high-side drivers. You type in 
the numbers you want (quantities from 1-5, maximum 4 items per order), 
and then it slowly goes down the chain of command to your local 
distributor. The lady (may be others) in charge of sampling keeps you 
updated. Order to delivery is about 5-6 business days.

ETC) Micrometals

Just FYI, they make powdered iron solenoid cores, from power cylinders 
to RF to toroids, and are happy to give you some samples. 
www.micrometals.com

To the poster wondering about getting samples or not: definitely get 
them, as long as they are for personal use. Unless your professors are 
really rigid, use some custom sample parts to spice up your projects. 
Besides being intensely fun, it introduces you to thinking outside the 
box. As an example, for the digital logic design class which I took as a 
freshman, I made an analog synthesizer using exotic (for the class) 
parts such as a divide-by-N chip (CD4059), analog switches, active opamp 
filters, a crystal oscillator, "touch" switches and so on. I later 
"ported" the design to an 18F, which used DDS (direct digital synthesis) 
to do the same thing. Later this semester, I will be working on a 
speech/music analyzer, and as one of the asides, I will have (probably 
the dsPIC) a 3
DSP synthesizing music with inverse FFTs...it's been a fun 2 years!

Cheers,
-Ishaan
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