Side debate about low budget consoles

[Pie4Weebl]

Companies are in the business of making money. Hardware companies are in the business of making hardware that they sell to make money. All other decisions are based on how to maximize the money that is made. There are lots of marketing games that get played to make that happen.

One thing that continues to make me smile is the smartphone app ecosystem. The conversation goes something like this:

Customer: I just dropped big money on this smart device. Please give me a free app so I can get it to do something useful.
Vendor: No. I didn't make any money when you bought your smart thingy. You can buy my app.
Customer: Fine. I will go to some other vendor then.
Vendor: Here's your free app. Now please buy something from me so we can feed the people that made the app.
Customer: No. I already got your free app, which is excellent BTW, and found some cheaper thing that will work with it.
Vendor: Will you buy something from our "Going out of business" sale?
Customer: Nope. I can get it cheaper from the liquidator after you close your doors.

There's really no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody somewhere is getting screwed.

And that's why I roll my eyes at everyone who has cobbled together a "hack-MA" out of an MA node and a bunch of midi controllers.

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Robartsd nails the market stratification answer, but I'd like to expand.

There isn't all that much you can do with a Nikon D3 that you can't do with an iPhone 6, but the Nikon *has a physical knob for every damn function*.

When you're making a real, honest to ghod living with the device, day in and day out, that will make or break you, so it has inherent value.

Same thing with the ETC Nomad and the various wings that can talk to it.

If you can live with, say, running Nomad/Eos on a 24" All-in-1 PC, more power to you, and lots of people can.

For those who can't, there's Ion.

 

[EdSavoie]

I'm sure this will solidify a reputation as a cheap DIY technician, but for anyone with programming experience and the right tools, you could make you own board out of modular components, and hook it up to a laptop for more crunch power.

Potentiometers with screw mount PCBs will set you back about two bucks each, and additionally you could mount anything under the sun if you so choose to.

Feeling nostalgic? Use a 16x2 character display, and tack on an LPT connection for terminal output.
Feeling fancy? Try driving an LCD.
Feeling Really nostalgic? Use nothing but indicator lamps.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Even nixie tubes?

 

[STEVETERRY]

Even nixie tubes?

Re: Nixie Tubes.

See attached for the clock in my office. East German Nixie tubes with 100mm tall characters, GPS satellite locked.

ST

 

[Jay Ashworth]

What are you selling those for, Steve?

 

[JohnD]

Even nixie tubes?

Might I also suggest Cat's eye tubes aka magic eye tubes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_eye_tube

 

[EdSavoie]

OOoooo hadn't thought of nixie tubes, and I didn't even know the magic eye tubes existed!

 

[STEVETERRY]

What are you selling those for, Steve?

Sorry, not for sale. The 100mm tall Nixies are no longer available. The guy that designed this clock passed away a couple of year ago, so the existing clocks are the last of their breed.

ST

 

[jonliles]

I don't have any Nixies, but I have a stock of Numitrons. Best thing about the numitrons is that they are rated for low voltage (between 3.5&5 Vdc). I'm using them to build a clock similar to Mr Terry's above.

 

[gafftaper]

What are you selling those for, Steve?

Wow Nixie Tube Clocks are widely available in a bunch of different styles over on Etsy and Ebay! Prices seem to start around $60 and run up to about $300 depending on how many tubes and if you have a fancy case or not. You can also get a kit on Ebay to build your own. I know what I'm putting on my Christmas List!

 

[STEVETERRY]

Wow Nixie Tube Clocks are widely available in a bunch of different styles over on Etsy and Ebay! Prices seem to start around $60 and run up to about $300 depending on how many tubes and if you have a fancy case or not. You can also get a kit on Ebay to build your own. I know what I'm putting on my Christmas List!

Try for one with a GPS receiver so you never have to worry about setting the time.

ST