> Between the resulting thermal management issues and reduced battery life, linear regulation is seldom worth the pain.
Rather the opposite, actually! Most simple electronics or DIY stuff has rather trivial needs, like USB-sourced 5V->3.3V conversion at a few dozen mA. A simple LDO will cost you about $0.01 in bulk, so your total BOM is $0.03 once you include capacitors. The linked CUI VXO7803-500 module is closer to $2.00. An LTC3240 IC will cost you $1.00, and an AP63203 IC is at least $0.50 too.
Unless your application requires high efficiency, has significant voltage differences, or is handling large currents, there is no reason not to just throw in a dirt-cheap LDO.
Rather the opposite, actually! Most simple electronics or DIY stuff has rather trivial needs, like USB-sourced 5V->3.3V conversion at a few dozen mA. A simple LDO will cost you about $0.01 in bulk, so your total BOM is $0.03 once you include capacitors. The linked CUI VXO7803-500 module is closer to $2.00. An LTC3240 IC will cost you $1.00, and an AP63203 IC is at least $0.50 too.
Unless your application requires high efficiency, has significant voltage differences, or is handling large currents, there is no reason not to just throw in a dirt-cheap LDO.