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From: clint.laskowski@mixcom.com (Clint Laskowski)
Subject: Marshall CCD Update
Message-ID: <clint.laskowski-190994092853@jjwwjj.mixcom.com>
Followup-To: comp.robotics
Sender: news@mixcom.mixcom.com (Net News Admin)
Organization: Milwaukee Internet eXchange (MIX)
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 14:39:14 GMT
Lines: 51

Last week I posted a copy of press release for a new CCD which is going to
be sold by Marshall Industries. The press release said the CCD was made by
VVL and would be sold for under $10 "forvolume users." I also offered to
coordinate a group buy if there was enough interest.

I called the contact on the press release and found out:

1) The CCD is not actually shipping yet. It should be "soon." No dates were
   discussed.

2) The evaluation kit is $975 (!).

3) Costs for the CCD chip are: 100,000 units = $10.00 ($1,000,000
inventory)
                                10,000 units = $10.75 (  $107,500
inventory)
                                 1,000 units = $15.90 (   $15,900
inventory)

                               * Please Note: All these inventory $$
amounts
                                 are greater than the credit remaining on
my
                                 VISA card :-)  [that's supposed to be
funny!]

4) The representative I talked with would not even quote price for
quanities of
   less than 1,000 units (!).

5) Several people responded to my post saying they would be interested in a
   purchasing several chips if I could coordingate a group buy. I will
continue
   to work with Marshall Industries to get "reasonable" pricing on a
smaller
   quantity, but at this time it does not look real promising. I can't
imagine
   me being able to coordinate a group buy of more than, say, 200 chips. At
that
   quantity, the price will probably be about $30 each. Let me know if you
are
   interested (that's still pretty [very] cheap for a 160x160 CCD!).

I'll provide another update when there is news.

Clint

-- 

Clint Laskowski
<clint.laskowski@mixcom.com>
