Foxconn - less is more. Sometimes
Foxconn's global sales of $24bn mean that it has fingers in almost every hardware pie. For example, it produces a range of motherboards to suit every budget, from ultra-cheapies for sale to system integrators up to premium editions with everything but the kitchen sink included.
The low end of the mainboard market is interesting. Adding just a few cents to each motherboard can be the difference between winning and losing a large contract. In view of this, Foxconn has adopted the mantra that less is sometimes more. Confused? Let us explain.
Take the micro-ATX-sized P4M89QSQ1 as an example. Foxconn has stripped the board down to the very essentials. Legacy ports have been removed completely and Foxconn has added in both a x16 PCIe slot and a x4 version. The lack of largely superfluous ports brings the price down just a touch, and buyers are then free to upgrade the board via add-in PCI/PCIe cards, should the need arise.
In a nutshell, Foxconn provides the most basic ASICs and ports for initial connectivity. A board price reduction of $2 may not sound like too much to you or me, but if it helps Foxconn win another multi-million-pound contract, based solely on price, the less -is-more philosophy could well work. Stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap.
We wouldn't be surprised if a similar board was specified in a low-cost system from a major vendor in the coming months.
