Arduino Mega 2560 fake?

Hi, I recently bought an Arduino Mega 2560 from Maplin stores U.K and I am a little uncertain if it is an official board, all of the boards components seem to be legitimate but the print markings indicating the pins and components are off, they are not as crisp and clear as the one's on my Arduino Uno and the overall paint work is different to 2560's that are photographed on the internet. The board might by fine and its just me being picky over a trivial issue but clarification would really help, cheers!
(uploaded pictures to my blog)

http://dljonescsm.wordpress.com/arduino-mega-2560/

http://www.maplin.co.uk/arduino-mega-2560-r3-board-612967

This indicates that is is 'real', but anything can be counterfeit - including a logo.
http://images.maplin.co.uk/300/N31KU_2.jpg

The real question is is Maplin a distributor of Arduino?

So, you should ask Maplin via eMail (or phone.)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/contact-form

Ray

Cheers for the fast response Ray, I am aware that Maplin are not official distributors of Arduino but they are a legitimate and well known business here. I suppose contacting them would be the best bet it just seems strange that it was in official packaging but I have not come across an Arduino 2560 design like it (as in the paint work).

but I have not come across an Arduino 2560 design like it (as in the paint work).

Well, I have several 2560's around here that came from a distributor, but it was 18 months ago. I have not seen a new Mega in a while which is why I think the contact is the only way to answer this... unless one of the Arduino engineers sign on and advises... it does happen from time to time.

Good luck. I know lots of folks recommend Maplin, so I am hopeful...

Ray

Daryl02:
...I am a little uncertain if it is an official board...

Seriously? You suspect it's an official board? Just compare the backs...
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/arduinoBoardMega2560

It's clearly counterfeit.

Wowsers! You paid 40 pounds for a counterfeit board. You got ripped-off. Get your money back.

What is so clearly wrong? The image on the Maplin site looks like a genuine R3 to me...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/arduino-mega-2560-r3-board-612967

(I can't see what the OP had posted on his/her blog, the link doesn't work anymore...)

pico:
What is so clearly wrong?

The back is solid white. The counterfeiter did not even attempt the Zero Impact graphic...


http://blog.arduino.cc/2009/10/13/arduino-manufacturing-and-carbon-neutrality/

The image on the Maplin site looks like a genuine R3 to me...

There are problems with the front as well. Look closer.

(I can't see what the OP had posted on his/her blog, the link doesn't work anymore...)

Argh! I hate when people do that!

You mean the stylized blue "O" on the white background? The image from the Maplin site has that (see attached photo).

I did, but I still couldn't identify anything. Sorry if I'm missing something obvious here...

N31KU_4.jpg

pico:
You mean the stylized blue "O" on the white background? The image from the Maplin site has that (see attached photo).

The topic of this thread is the board Maplin actually delivered to @Daryl02. As I stated earlier, the image of the back of @Daryl02's board was essentially solid white.

pico:

[quote author=Coding Badly link=topic=193715.msg1432568#msg1432568 date=1382036110]There are problems with the front as well. Look closer.

I did, but I still couldn't identify anything. Sorry if I'm missing something obvious here... [/quote]

I had @Daryl02's images in mind when I posted that. Sorry about the confusion.

So the images shown on the Maplin website are of a genuine R3, you think? But the boards they are actually delivering are fairly crude fakes? That's fairly serious (and surprising; Maplin is, as I undertand it, a well-known and fairly reputable outfit.)

pico:
So the images shown on the Maplin website are of a genuine R3, you think?

Don't know. Don't really care. Images of genuine boards are easily scraped from this site (as well as other sites).

They could easily buy a genuine board, photograph it, and use those images.

But the boards they are actually delivering are fairly crude fakes?

Appears to be the case. It would be helpful if @Daryl02 would respond. And hadn't removed the images.

That's fairly serious (and surprising; Maplin is, as I undertand it, a well-known and fairly reputable outfit.)

The Arduino folks, as far as I know, have always taken the "high road": they try to get the offending company to stop. So the situation is probably not very serious from Maplin's perspective.

In the U.S., treble lost profits are the potential penalty.

Hey, sorry guys after I sent it back I took the link down. Coding Badly I am trying to email you back with the information that you/Arduino have requested but it says that there is an error sending it as your mail box is full. Mail me when you can.

Please check your inbox.