Homebrew PCBs

I am a writer. I sell plans. It is very hard to make a living
selling a product with so little profit. The support is also the down
side. For $36 some people want me to teach them electronics using Emails. 
     The CNC market peaked in 2003 During 2003 there were several
active software packages. CNCPro-KCam-TurboCNC-EZCNC(Early Mach) Now
most people only use Mach. As for plans there was HobbyCNC and Me back
then and two free sets that were too hard to build! In 2003 I sold 18K
worth of plans and Piker boards and the support time was killing me.
So I dropped out of the controller side. Since then I have watched at
least 20 people bail. Most of the early big mouths never finished
their machines. Several dumped their machines on Ebay. They would talk
big but produce a flimsy machine using very expensive parts. Slowly
the little machine overtook the hobby. Website that allowed pictures
separated the nuts from the sane! During 2003 I had customers who had
workshops and tools. Now that is all gone! The biggest problem is
people who think they can solder. I had people send me their boards
for awhile. A real eye openier!!! Just like American Idol.    




--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "lcdpublishing"
<lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>
> Dave,
> 
> Correct.  John has been complaining on these lists that he has 
> been "Ripped off" on "His" designs and that his business is failing 
> and so on.  While I commend him for taking the time and risks 
> associated with producing a commercial product such as his plans, I 
> do not see his failure as a result of being ripped off.  
> 
> If there was such a huge market for his plans and/or designs, he 
> would be as rich as Bill Gates.  However, as many people learn in 
> business, there is only X amount of people willing to pay X amount 
> of dollars for any given product.  If you can't find enough 
> customers willing to pay the price for the product, then the market 
> isn't big enough to support the costs.
> 
> Just because he is the "First to use window channel" does not 
> guarantee a person success in a marketplace nor does it grant him 
> any rights to the variety of machine designs that are out there, 
> similar, identical, or otherwise.  Furthermore, just because he was 
> the  "First to use window channel" does not make his plans the only 
> option, the best option, or the end-all-cure-all for those that want 
> a small CNC machine.  
> 
> Just as there are dozens of people on this group, there are dozens 
> of ideas of what people want in a small CNC machine.  Not all of 
> them have the: need, desire, or willingness to build a CNC machine 
> out of hardware store products.  Some folks actually want a machine 
> tool of higher quality, some folks may not want to actually build 
> it, some fold don't have the ability to assemble the bits and 
> pieces, etc.  
> 
> My builds have had varying purposes - the most recent being as a 
> platform for learning about electronics.  The previous one was as a 
> woodworking router with travels and overall size that would fit a 
> given work area and shop floor space.  Other folks may want a "plug 
> and play" machine and so on.  We are all different, we all have 
> different needs or perceived needs for a CNC machine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > Chris, 
> > 
> > John has put together a lot of different designs.  To say that all
> > were so unique as to have no part ever done in a similar way before
> > would be silly.
> > 
> > But, when you look at the one machine John did design and make 
> plans
> > for, and then you look at the free plans, you have a hard time 
> finding
> > any difference.
> > 
> > In my book that is not a parallel design.
> > 
> > But, like you said in so many words, there is nothing new under the
> > Sun.  almost every design is just some other design with something
> > different.
> > 
> > Look at all the machines that are based on a Bridgeport. Look at 
> all
> > the machines that are router based with a flying gantry.  Almost
> > everythings is based on those designs.  I think the Hex-a-pod is 
> about
> > the most unique thing that has come along.
> > 
> > Dave
> >
>