The issue here is ATmega328 pricing vs AVR DD pricing. Which is the crux of the discussion.
The pricing estimates discussed earlier have to be factored against the well known, widespread counterfeits. Especially because ATMega328 is a well known counterfeited chip, and the Chinese market well known for being full of not only counterfeits in general, but even counterfeits of this specific chip under discussion.
You cannot compare chip prices like the poster did earlier. And all this Chinese vs whatever discussion you're trying to distract me with aside doesn't change the core fact.
i think the pricing is a mostly irrelevant detail, actually, which is why i didn't mention it. what's relevant is availability
you're right that availability of counterfeits isn't real availability, but i think you're vastly exaggerating the seriousness of that problem. a more likely reason for chinese distributors lowering their prices for the atmega328 is that it's not appealing for new designs, so they need to offload their leftover inventory
The pricing estimates discussed earlier have to be factored against the well known, widespread counterfeits. Especially because ATMega328 is a well known counterfeited chip, and the Chinese market well known for being full of not only counterfeits in general, but even counterfeits of this specific chip under discussion.
You cannot compare chip prices like the poster did earlier. And all this Chinese vs whatever discussion you're trying to distract me with aside doesn't change the core fact.