Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: Orphaned Response - (nf) Message-ID: <3953@utzoo.UUCP> Date: Sat, 9-Jun-84 18:02:10 EDT Article-I.D.: utzoo.3953 Posted: Sat Jun 9 18:02:10 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Jun-84 18:02:10 EDT References: <1485@inmet.UUCP> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology Lines: 21 James Triplett asks why no flashing lights, commenting: .............................................. The only reason I can think of to eliminate them is cost, but how much would it add to the cost of our IBM 3083 or VAX 780 to add a panel of lights- it would be trivial. With LED's nowadays you don't even incure any maintenance cost. .... It's the usual sort of reason: they get little use and cost a fair bit. The cost is not a matter of the LEDs themselves, but of the mounting hardware to hold them, and the effects this has on cabinet design. You would be *amazed* at the cost of bent sheet metal these days, when one is talking about total production costs. Most manufacturers take the view that it's better to add a bit of cheap electronics (a console monitor program) than a bunch of expensive hardware. Don't get me wrong -- I miss the lights and switches too. But I don't expect them back. -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry