and i don't think they would need hundreds of thousands of boards if they charged let's say $300 dollars for just one of them. Unicomp must have some money if they bought the patent and make many various products. I am sure they all don't sell like hot cakes haha. this would be a niche product, with a high price mark up.
a few months ago i spoke to jim about this kind of thinking. he set me straight.
they DO need to sell tens of thousands of keyboards to justify creating new product. even variations that appear subtle are very expensive to do if their current machines aren't already capable of doing them.
then i said there are customers who are willing to shell out $150+ for specific kinds of keyboards. unfortunately, those customers (you, me, etc.) are far, far, outnumbered by those who want something cheap, generic, and at a low price. low number of customers (in your words hundreds) * high price tag <<< higher number of customers * moderate price tag.
given the current economic state, unicomp has to focus on the basics. work with what they already have. maybe if better times come a few years later then they can think about other cool new ideas. right now is not a good time.
i also share your interest in reviving the m15 keyboard. in fact, i'd be one of the first to order it and spend a good chunk of change (preferably <200 tbh). yes i love buckling springs and would really like a keyboard that can split AND you can adjust its height / angle. a lot of "ergonomic" keyboards today may be split to reduce ulnar deviation but they slope upwards which encourages you to bend your wrists (even more harmful). the m15 is a supreme product.