>I'd send a nicely worded written (hard copy) letter to
>the head office (in the US) and ask them why the hassle.

Well, I would say the hassle is because he tried to sample common widely
available devices, which are cheap enough to get almost anywhere. On this
basis I can understand their reticence to supply, but equally why they
couldn't have someone go and pick some chips off the shelf as a piece of
good will - well who knows.

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