Quote:
Originally Posted by Robertb
Daer pkovak:
Thank you for your response!!
IF eBook Readers were made in the USA... this could be done. Potentially, a line could be done to sort of build-to-suit. BUT, allowing for manufacturing costs in USA and that all panels and parts are made in Asia... likely this would not happen.
In our case our factories are in China and Taiwan as labor rates and engineering are low. A skilled engineer maybe gets $500 a month. Also, everything is done on conveyorized assembly lines where workers are expected to keep up with the flow. There is never the thought to do one person at one desk doing custom orders. If they did, that $300 device may cost you $700.
Your idea is very well-intentioned and I know that... but in today's mass production with end users screaming about wanting an under $200 machine if they could get it... everything is far too automated.
Look at Astak. We OWN the factory in Taiwan and even for us they will NOT design a custom machine unless we order 20,000. I would love to have a North American Special built precisely as most have stated on Mobileread Forum... an "Astak Dream" model. Instead I harp and plead and beg them to USE an Epson Controller NOW and not next month! To them it is all about: "we make machine, you buy major quantity maybe, shut face and shoehorn fit into North America". Eventually I yell enough that I get some things done the right way.
Robert B
|
Seems you hit the point where you are out of your depth here. I am surprised at your comments since they really are very contradictory.
OK, so engineers get paid NOTHING by your company, yet because you want your cut it is impossible to deliver sub-$200 devices to us "whining" consumers?
Also, Lenovo, Dell, HP and others ALL manage to build CTO laptops all built outside the US. This is especially true for HP & Lenovo.
As for modular it only needs be CTO if it is not modular in design and the components do not have user accessible slots for installation. Yes this would mean going back to the boards but it may be a fatal mistake to force a one-size-fits-all family of devices when we are all being far more sensible with our cash these days. Staying behind the curve rather than proactively going beyond run of the mill will be a mistake in the long run. That is not to say these need to be this way now, but rather it should be the goal in the near term. Make the features available as accessories not integral to the device. This is bound to happen anyway as the eink improves to actually be of any real use so the devices will merge with the idea of a netbook.
But for now we should all never believe what marketing spins before our eyes. At this point I am seeing more and more that I am very likely not to ever be an Astak customer. The spin is simply starting to trip over itself.