[Elecraft] Prospective K4

[W1GO (Joe)]

History is replete with examples of companies that refused, at their own peril, to embrace emerging technologies.  This stubbornness, I suspect, was born out of a sense of technological arrogance.  

In the early 1970s, the Swiss watch industry, enamored with their mechanical movements, refused to embrace quartz technology.  That decision would result in decades of rapidly declining Swiss watch sales.  The ultimate irony is that today many Swiss watches make use of Citizen internal movements.

Conversely, there are companies like Apple.  Apple, was able to leverage existing technologies and make them “better” for their end-customer.  In other words, confront the paradigm shift head-on, know what your end-customers  will most value (even if they don’t know it today) and positively exploit the emerging technologies.  

Elecraft is more of an Apple than it is a Swiss watch company.  I have no doubt they will positively exploit emerging technologies and deliver products with features that we haven’t even thought about today.

Have faith, all.  And, by the way, as we wait, we’ll just "have to live with" our worldclass transceivers; not a bad position to be in if you ask me.

73,
Joe
W1GO



> On May 5, 2019, at 12:41 PM, Drew AF2Z <pubx1 at af2z.net> wrote:
> 
> I've never doubted that Elecraft would produce a great CW rig, if not the best!
> 
> The only thing I'd be concerned about is the operator interface. Not really looking forward to touchscreen controls here, though I suppose they are inevitable in modern rigs. And I don't care to have my rig dependent on a computer either.
> 
> I think modern rigs could benefit by having an optional keyboard interface-- no need of an intermediary computer, just a dedicated plug-in (or wireless) keyboard that could be used to access all the rig controls and menu items. A slash command system like the old Lotus 123 spreadsheet of the 80's would be highly efficient allowing access to any corner of the rig's control space with just a few keystrokes. Also the possibility for the operator to macro-tize everything to his heart's content...
> 
> I wonder if Elecraft will stick with the high portability/low power consumption design. Those things aren't really important to me. I wouldn't mind a larger rig.
> 
> 73,
> Drew
> AF2Z
> 
> 
>