Alright I know I bashed the MSP430  (heck even it’s name sucks) but hey, let’s give it a try! – Or not, since it’s been backordered for almost a month now?, They say it’s going to start shipping again by early August… Let’s hope so. I already picture myself waiting 3 months to get a small bag of ICs though, it might be fun playing around with the board but sooner or later you’ll want to get serious and start working on some real projects… Which begs the question: Is there an MSP430 community out there?, is the support comparable to AVR, PIC, etc?

I’ll be able to answer those questions once I get the board. My guess though: You won’t get nearly as much support and you’ll be pulling your hairs twice as much. We’ll see.

I do not take back my comments about TI’s lack of user friendliness though. I think they should hop off the massive conglomerate wagon and start emulating what the smaller companies are doing. Otherwise, why bother with TI’s solutions when there are so many other companies to choose from?.

Bullshit, that’s what it is. They targeted the “Launchpad”  toward the maker/hacker market and yet they don’t provide the according payment methods, these corporate weasels will only take your credit card, tell me how many students actually own a credit card? only the rich kids, who are probably more interested in getting more free money from their parents and living la vida loca than spending their time hacking away on a TI development board alone in their basement.

It just makes no sense whatsoever! they’re trying to get a piece of this huge market by introducing a ridiculously cheap product and yet theres no way anyone outside the US without a CC would be able to get one!.

Therefore TI’s product is as appealing to me as sucking a rusty nail while watching a match of cricket under severe chronic depression! It’s going to end one way and it won’t be pretty.

More…