[Coco] Coco Digest, Vol 153, Issue 65

[John Strong]

Mark,in your research did you fine a source of blank key caps?

  John Strong


> Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2015 23:40:26 -0700
> From: "Mark J. Blair" <nf6x at nf6x.net>
> To: CoCoList Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Mechanical keyboard upgrades for the CoCo
> Message-ID: <B831F681-477B-4DF4-909A-C6A1C7CD2EA9 at nf6x.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> I got a price quote from the first keycap manufacturer I contacted. For a single set of custom keycaps, the price is close to $900, with double shot a bit more expensive than pad printing. At quantity 20, double shot is actually cheaper than pad printing, and the price is down to just over $90 per keycap set. I haven't looked into PCB or sheet metal pricing yet, but I think this puts the finished price (with a very small profit margin) in the $200-$300 range at a production quantity of 20 keyboards.
> 
> So, no surprise, but this isn't looking promising. I rather doubt I'd find 20 people (counting me) willing to drop $200-$300 on a very custom, very deluxe CoCo keyboard upgrade, and I rather doubt that the CoCo keyboard upgrade market would be large enough to get the price down to a less painful level.
> 
> Oh well, if find a sunken Spanish galleon full of gold coins in my yard then I'll revisit this idea. :)
> 
> -- 
> Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
> http://www.nf6x.net/
>