As per the title, does anybody know roughly how much a MkIV Barnacle Widget is worth these days?

Pm sent

PM noted

Oooh, tell me, tell me!

You going to make some more if the price is right Neil ?

Holy Moley,

Just found the original recipt from April 2008. I paid £130 for it!

Ian, I can't - the displays are no longer available.

Which means I need to source a new display, rewrite the software at a minimum, probably make new circuit boards, and get new carbon fibre mounts made... big outlay for very small remaining market.

Kind of cut my throat with the free startrek software

I think you'd be surprised with demand. I can't comment on the volume needed before you start breaking even but given the number of people who snap these up and want them I'd imagine you have a long list! :-)

Star Trek software makes my mind boggle - and im not that bad with Tech..

I still have my MK1 widget going strong FWIW :-)

Are the alternative displays to your original part using a different interface type, pinout or different command format or something?

If the code needs adapted to handle a different display I may be able to help, if it's written in microcontroller assembler. Unfortunately I don't know C which I suspect is probably what you used?

A MkV Widget !!!

The displays are/would be the fourth or fifth iteration... the code change is reasonably straight forward as I wrote the code in a very modular way, but each version has been a different pinout, and/or operating voltage, and/or controlling chip, and/or backlight, and/or resolution...

It's not the code so much as the new circuit boards and the mechanics of mounting the display. It is possible, but it's not as inexpensive as I'd like, and there is a *lot* of work involved.

(Mk5 would have to have colour display, which costs, and needs a faster processor to feed it, which costs, and some sort of video driver, which costs... you're getting the idea?)

Ah OK, thanks, I see there are quite a few hurdles and I guess demand would be very low at this stage anyway.

That's my thought.

I'd be very happy to test pilot a full colour version, just to make sure it works properly!

Build it, and they will come...

Yep

They *say* that - but when it comes to folk putting money in their pockets, they melt away like the dew in the morn...

Sorry folks.

It is not my intention to produce any more.

Neil

So why not start a group buy with a deposit? You tell the asking price, those interested will stump up a deposit!

I'd pay now

i have a blue mk4b widget (one of the last one's made) with update firmware to stop it dropping out that i'll sell for £1000 delivered

Of course he means hands or money in his pocket

Oh, you know what I meant!

(restrains himself from editing the posts... that would *really* confuse the issue!)

Does it come with a free coupe

Good idea. You obviously can't decide a final selling price. Too many variables and some risk to you. But how about £100 deposit with target selling price under £300 and you decide how many deposits will need to risk going ahead.

Say for example you need 50 minimum. You only go ahead with project if you get 50 deposits of £100, giving you £5,000 up front to start work. If you don't get the deposits you return £90 to each depositor; £10 being your handling fee.

Deposit doesn't commit a person to buy if target selling price isn't achieved, but if it is achieved, deposit is non refundable. If any don't buy there will be others that will. In the example above, total sales value of £15k would hopefully make it worth your while, but my figures are a total stab in the dark.

You can name your terms.

Like he's got nothing else to do

If this took off i would love one, whenever ones come up for sale I've always missed it!

I would love a widget too, but if Neil doesn't want to make them is it really fair for people to keep trying to pressure him? Give the man peace.

^ indeed as both jimbob and proccy suggest.