I think it's just about what works best for people, horses for courses=20 and all that.. Hobbyist or business, it seems that (some) people find there is some=20 benefit to making their own boards. Whether this is the "best" way is almost impossible to judge, given the=20 huge range of EE and number of factors to consider. I think comparing=20 methods of work/production of say, vintage audio (tube amps, through=20 hole, point to point, etc) with multilayer, high speed, low power, SMD=20 design, would be a little difficult. --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .