On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:56:59 GMT, "Alan French"
wrote:

Hi Alan,

While the Orion ED 80mm may be a nice scope and a good value, it certainly
doesn't seem like the mechanics are close to the same league that AP, Tak,
and TMB are supplying.

A smooth Crayford is primo. Adjustable cell likely next up? How good
does it have to get to adequately grab the attention and a significant
piece in a market? Not to mention price that definitely grabs buyers
at blinding speed.

I didn't notice anything about hand figuring or
interferometric testing either.

How will that matter that much if the QC risk factor is found reduced
for the new model?

The market has proven that people are
willing to pay for top quality optics and mechanics.

That is exactly what they may be getting with this new scope. Or at
least to a standard that appeals strongly enough to draw out a
significant number of wallets (or purses) from those that could only
look otherwise toward long term expenditure for same. After all, the
fact remains a vast majority of end users do not have excess amounts
to spend for a sweet scope. Hence, the dreams of an APO vs. the
actual move toward justifying one in *budget sensible* terms.

Please don't take me wrong. I'm not in the least attempting to knock
the APO manufacturers saying this stuff. I have the highest of regard
toward them and their fantastic productsI I personally feel bad about
the way things seem to be going but wish to be realistic all the same.
Just look at the achromat scopes, giant binoculars, and to some extent
the cheap eyepiece crazes of recent times. I imagine those are big
shares of the existing market.

While there certainly
is a market for scopes like the Orion ED 80mm, I do not think it is the same
market the high end companies are selling to. It certainly isn't geared
toward the folks doing imaging either.

I wish to politely disagree. Sad to say but my hunch is there will be
a highly visable crunch at some point in time and that this is the
beginning of that change.

Clear skies,

Pete