Thanks for your 2 cents.  Becasue your job is engineering and cost
evaluation, I'd like you to price the system we just bought.
 
1 upright and 1 inverted microscope - both with digital readout electronic
focus, infinity-corrected optics with phase contrast, white light and UV
sources.  The upright has DIC.  Three PMTs as detectors that are read
through a single confocal aperture, a galvanometer-driven Z-focussing stage
(30 nm reproducibility).  HeNe, Argon, and Krypton lasers that are
simultaneously introduced by fiber-optic.  Laser delivery interconvertable
from upright to inverted platform by one person in five minutes.  Then
there's the software and computer hardware - I'd like the software
demonstrated before we purchase.
 
After you've got your best price, get back to me.  By the way, the
instrument must be up and fully operational within three months.  After
setup and demonstration, you get your money.
 
The point is, you don't build turnkey optical systems for biologists (i.e.,
people who want to USE them, not TINKER with them) in your garage with
part-time consultants.  If it is really as simple and profit-rich as you
describe, what are you waiting for?!  It sounds as if you could have your
investment back after selling three machines - everything else is pure and
clear profit!  Ah America - land of opportunity!
 
Rob Palmer
CEB/UT
 
>I MUST (as one with product engineering and cost evaluation experience)
>throw in my measily two cents because I am greatly apalled at the truly
>amazing prices asked (and paid !!) for these quite simple - in concept, at
>least, improvements on the conventional microscope:
>
>
>Confocal principles are relatively simple and straightforward.
>
>The components are relatively cheap.
>
>The only unique parts, as far as I can understand, are software and a small
>part of the optical train.
>
>Therefore, and forgive me for stepping on toes, why must a $10K microscope,
>a $200 laser, a $2500 computer, and a $1000 (generous here) sensor/camera
>add up to such numbers as $250K because of a little label whose name begins
>with N or Z ?
>
>(The same comment also applies to DNA sequence machines priced at $150k.
>In that case you haven't even got a $10k microscope to be proud of, and the
>plaque has a "B" on it.)
>
>Am I missing a really big point, or are you guys who are spending the money
>on these fabulous but way, way profitable devices watching so much TV that
>you now believe in name brands, advertising, and tiny little raindeer ?
>
>Maybe some of you have a few bucks to invest into a startup venture to
>capture some of the truly incredible profits appearing to lie on the table.
>Just for the sake of mentioning it, there must be far more aggregrate
>technical capability on this list than in the combined talents of all
>existing confocal builders, so talent is not a barrier.  OK, so it IS a
>$25k microscope, but reading my own words, I'm beginning to be convinced of
>an opportunity here.  What do you think ?
>
>
>Cheers and Regards,
>
>
>Ed Monberg
>In Palo Alto