[time-nuts] suggestions for free samples from AD

[gary]

If the manufacturer sells the part directly, I just buy it. I did that 
with the MSP430 as someone on the list suggested. But if they only sell 
by the reel, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for a freebie. Case in 
point are ceramic filters. They are dirt cheap, but nobody wants to 
stock them since there are few customers for them. That is, the volume 
of the product is high, but not many companies buy them. I did some 
radio mods and Murata was nice enough to sample me a few filters.

Note with some chips, it is often better to look for eval boards made by 
hobby companies like Sparkfun. I did that with an ADI accelerometer.