[Elecraft] Customizable touch panel?

[Jeff Cauhape]

I've been reading all the traffic about blinking lights,
non-blinking lights, and such, and am wondering if there
may come a day when it's time to "bite the bullet" and
make a configurable touch screen interface available?

I'm not done yet building my K2, so I'm hardly in any
position to say "we need this!", but I'm seeing a trend
where a lot of folks want customizable tweaks to the
front panel. Because of my software background, it seems
"natural(*)" to move this out of hardware and into software,
where it would be easier to change.

Here's how I think it would work: (prepares to blow smoke)

* The default configuration would be as it is now. This interface
  would be an option.

* The option package includes:
  - New firmware to work with touch screen
  - Touch screen
  - Cabling
  - CD ROM with
    > Java based software to run on PC or Mac to design and
      download new menus and behaviors.
    > Manual
    > Sample alternative menus

The idea is that the operator could choose the behavior he
wants to the soft buttons, apply text and prompts in the 
language of his choice (not everyone speaks English), and
even change the layout so that it makes sense to himself.

Of course, the down side is that it could be so customized
as to be nearly unusable to anyone else, but then they can
just go and buy their own Elecraft! ;)

Jeff
KG6IND

* Whether software can be considered 'natural' or not is
  an open question...

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