SAM was the best board set Stern has done. Solid as a rock. The occasional transistor where the hardest part is waiting for the iron to heat up.

I've seen way more issues with SPIKE, and the fix quickly becomes get a new board to fix it. In my opinion they built these boards right on the edge of their requirements. That way they go bad much more often, and Stern has a continuing add on sale as they are the only ones that can provide them ($$$).

But the factory is still pumping at full capacity and it's cheaper for Stern, so SPIKE wins.

So 10% of Pinsiders who voted think SPIKE is more reliable and repair friendly? I would never let a single one of them repair one of my games. I really think anyone who has worked with both would vote SAM.

Most companies look to cut cost and keep it for themselves. It's called business. Stern isn't seeing a slowdown in sales due to prices, so it would be completely wrong of them to reduce prices when their costs go down.

That still sounds like you are contradicting yourself. You say you are all for capitalism, but you don't like when a company behaves like a capitalist? When you have a monopoly like Stern, you darn well do price replacement parts as high as the market will allow. You continue that until it impacts sales of your products or parts. None of your customers will pick leaving a $5000 machine dead instead of replacing a $300 node board. They may not be happy, but they will pay it. And if they don't, the customer will take a big loss on the game, and the next owner will be at your door with the $300. If you are all for capitalism, there it is.

Most of human knowledge is built on the backs of others. Then reviewed closely enough to discover if it is true or not. It is written in pages and passed on by words. It is how I have knowledge on a great many subjects I have never fully studied. It is also the reason humans advanced so quickly as communications improved. Today I can read what is written all over the world. And I can judge those writings to see if they fit the knowledge patterns I have accumulated in my lifetime.

From this statement it sounds like you have done this type of research into the licensing and manufacturing costs of pinball. I know that I will not be conducting this type of research, but I request that you share yours with the world. That way we can judge how close to the truth we feel it is and gain knowledge from it. Otherwise these words are hollow.