[Openicc] Minimal X Color Management

[edmund ronald]

A low-end add-on colorimeter based on current technology costs $7 when
fabricated in China.
A colorimeter for a display adds $2 to the display cost.
I know because I offered an instrument design to Xrite, and they were not
interested, and I know it is feasible because I had prototypes fabricated.
 I considered distributing myself, but the world simply isn't ready for a
low cost product.

The thing is, channel costs, support, distribution etc push the end-user
price of an add-on colorimeter to the $50 minimum, which is a significant
fraction of the cost of a display, so people then refuse to purchase it. I
can understand that.

I did some market research, and told photo shops that I could supply them
with a $50 instrument, would they carry it. They smiled and said "Look, we
sell $200 instruments, why should we sell a $50 instrument to the customer
instead?".

Edmund

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 3:15 AM, Graeme Gill <graeme at argyllcms.com> wrote:

> Kai-Uwe Behrmann wrote:
>
> > It would be cool so see colorimeter costs as low as the cheaper colour
> targets.
>
> I think a lot of peoples perceptions are kind o wacky when it comes
> to this. Very high quality instruments are comparatively cheap
> (ie. US$170 for the ColorMunki Display). It pales into
> insignificance when compared to the many other things people
> spend money on (how much do they spend on smartphones,
> digital cameras, turning over their computer every 3 years, etc, etc.).
> Yet they carry on like it's completely out of reach. I don't see
> the obstacle as being instrument cost :- it's all about color
> awareness and the value placed on color reproduction.
> There are so many ironies here - one of the reasons people
> see instruments as expensive is comparing them to the cost
> of displays - but one of the reasons that displays are cheap
> is that the manufacturer have compromised the consistency and
> accurate reporting of their color behaviour.
>
> Graeme Gill.
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