I purchased the board from an Ebay supplier in good faith thinking I was getting a Smooth Stepper.

Your first mistake was buying something on Ebay by description alone, without even knowing what the product looked like. A picture is worth 1000 words, and the picture was not a Smoothstepper.
Next time you buy something on Ebay, make sure at a minimum that you know what the product looks like, and the picture in the auction at least matches the product.

A Smoothstepper is going to cost considerably more than the board you have. There are probably thousands of others using that same board, so you might as well try it, and see if it works for you. But if you really wanted a Smoothstepper, and are prepared to pay for one, then by all means send it back.

The board seems to work! It drives steppers and behaves normally, I have yet to try the I/o's

I contacted the seller via Ebay. They say the seller has agreed a refund and have advised me to return the board to China!!!!!!! even although I purchased it from a supplier who is less than a hundred miles from me in UK  I have a real issue with this, I feel I should be able to return it from whence it came and get my money back within a couple of days rather than wait weeks perhaps.!!!!

Question I have is this, how much better is a real , smooth stepper board going to be. What are the advantages ?

I'm sorry to boar you guys but I'm just sounding off in the hope that others don't get duped as I did.

George

George,
Get a smooth stepper, Ethernet version and Ger21's 2010 Screenset.
 £106.00 = about AU$200, I paid about AU$180 or there abouts for mine.
Once you get the ESS dailed in You will be good to go and wonder how you ever got along without it on your laptop.
Good luck
Cheers

I see lots of Ethernet Smooth steppers on Ebay. Which one ?
Do I also need the breakout board ?
Thanks

George

For the moment my Imataoid smooth stepper is working.

George

There is only one ethernet Smoothstepper. Same link I gave you earlier in this thread.

Thank you Gerry.

It looks impressive. It's the same price as I paid for the Chinese import.
I will have to add a breakout board no doubt.

Regards

George