Originally Posted by
Buffo
Would you pay well over a grand to own one? I wouldn't. Given that you need the diode from an HD-DVD burner in order to make one, and that those units are selling for around $850, I'd say that the production costs are pretty foul.
Even if they found a direct source for the bare diodes, I'll wager that they'll still cost upwards of $650 a piece (just for the diode) in quantities of less than 500. So you're still talking about some serious cash for just 20 mw of violet that you really can't see all that well anyway. (And don't forget how fragile the diodes are... If they kill 1 out of ever 5 or 6 that they make, that adds to the cost.)
It's a cool toy for sure, but I can't afford one.
Adam