RE: [ql-users] Keyboard membranes

[Callum Davidson]

Title: Message

Hello all,   Thanks for your responses to my message so far - hopefully I'll be back in the 'QL Zone' pretty soon since I've had some very helpful replies already, and a couple of promising possibilities to explore.   I don't know if the estimates by Voyager are accurate or not, although I imagine they're probably about right, or maybe a little on the low side. My technical skills are somewhat limited, but I don't mind doing everyday running-repairs and simple upgrades myself. I generally avoid it unless really necessary since I'd hate to damage an otherwise great machine by sticking a curious finger in the wrong hole - I'd much rather leave it to the professionals; i.e. those that already know which holes not to stick their fingers in :)   I'd be very keen to see replacement membranes made, even if it could only be in a fairly small quantity - I'm sure there aren't millions of $ out there waiting to be made, but it could be quite a profitable enterprise over time, and would be a *great* service to the QL community.   Callum Davidson   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Voyager Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 4:40 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ql-users] Keyboard membranes Thanks for the messages and the interest. My point of view, is purelly the "retro-computing" as I collect systems for display/demonstration as near as the original state as possible. All the hardware development effort since the days of the mid-80's is really great, but I know, that there are many more users/owners like myself, that do not want to hack their systems (at least all of them) to add extra keyboards, motherboards etc. In Greece only, I have more than a dozen such users. I was planning on building a high quality alternative but 100% compatible membrane, in order to replace all the old and very fragile membranes, on several systems. I cannot evaluate the total volume yet, nor the future demand, but I expect it to be aprox 1K ~ 5K in the next 10 years. And I have the money and the resources to invest on  that venture starting today. My estimate is that from the 100K systems sold, only 10K are around nowdays, most of them thrown in closets, attics etc, having a purelly collector's value, and only 0.1K ~ 0.5K systems are active, used by QL power users / fans like you guys. Am I totally wrong?       ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 11:44 AM Subject: Re: [ql-users] Keyboard membranes In a message dated 13/10/02 09:39:47 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I believe that there are many potential clients.  I am one of them.  Greetings.  Badaman There are certainly a lot of people out there with QLs who need a new keyboard membrane (I have several ones here for a start which I could sell on the second hand market very easily). Please don't forget however, that Dave Park is working on the QeYboard replacement (not too sure how long this will take to get to market) and you can always attach a full size PC keyboard with SuperHermes or SuperHermes lite from Tony Firshman (I know he would not mention this himself - he would not dare to use this list to publicise himself!!). SuperHermes is also packed with other features which every QL user should consider essential in any event :-) -- Rich Mellor RWAP Software 35 Chantry Croft, Kinsley, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 5JH TEL: 01977 610509 http://hometown.aol.co.uk/rwapsoftware