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$250 in parts is not a $250 microscope.

The expertise required to design, source, align, calibrate, stock, distribute, sell, and support such a microscope is not without cost.

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But usually nobody quibbles about the same sort of definition for say a $250 3d printer (which requires all that fiddling too)

The difference being that professionals don't generally buy $250 3d printers - and when they do, i expect they do factor those costs in.

The difference is that professionals get paid and they know the value of their time. If you cannot rely on free labour, factoring in associated costs is important.

They would if people were producing 3D printers for African villages

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