K S wrote:
> 2. They provided support by way of printed data books, apps engineers,
> etc. With the WWW, electronic datasheets and forums like this there is
> now no further need for that support. (But those bookshelves sure do
> look empty!)

What are these 'bookshelves'?  :)

Brooke Clarke wrote:
> I must admit that when I'm designing a product although I start using the 
> internet, often the resource that's most helpful is a hard copy of a Mouser, 
> Digikey or Jameco catalog.  Then it's back to the computer to see what's in 
> stock, get data sheets, etc.

Agreed - I bounce back and forth between those catalogs and the web 
sites.  For me, the distributor as "comprehensive search engine 
connected to a quick shopping cart" is still useful.

But I agree with others that the distributor as "exclusive intermediary 
to a small number of manufacturers" has been replaced.
-- 
Timothy J. Weber
http://timothyweber.org
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