Originally Posted by
njkayaker
Possibly.
Or, it's now cheaper to make (tooling investments would be paid-off). If the components are custom, then Garmin can have them made as long as they like. The 500 is a case, a battery, and a chip. It's not likely any of these are "off the shelf" components.
Or Garmin expected the sales of the 510 to supplant sales of the 500 and didn't see that happening. The 510 is a lot bigger and more expensive: there may be number of people who prefer the 500.
There wasn't much of a reason to keep both the 800 and the 810. The Touring fills in for people who don't need the extra features (for more money) that the 810 has. The 810 keeps customers for whom the 1000 is too expensive.
No, there is way, way more to it than that. These sorts of devices are either an MCM (multi chip module) that includes a DRAM and a FLASH part in a single package (looks like one chip but isn't) plus CPU or they are a CPU with some mobile DRAM and FLASH on a small PCB (I believe this is the 500's set up). Then there is the whole RF (i.e. GPS receiver and ANT+) and display portions of the PCB as well.
Density changes in the memory can cause obsolescence easily and is a characteristic of these sorts of devices. The other big issue is that semiconductor process changes drive component obsolescence. Semiconductor suppliers move to more cost effective processes and it is quite normal for EOL notices to be issued to OEM mfgs for the end date on support. The process changes cost the IC guys billions and billions (Samsung's latest announced fab costs $15B) so they are pretty ruthless at cutting off old processes and the chips that go with them. If you're Apple with 80 million phones a year, you get your own factory - everyone else has to go with what is available.
The 500 is really an old device at almost 4 years old - ancient in the semiconductor world.
Garmin's volumes are not big enough for a total system on a chip device for a bike computer. Bike computers are niche products and in the world of consumer products are medium volume at best.
J.