OEM stabilizers

[jcoffin1981]

I replaced the stabilizers on my new Drop ALT and what a difference.  It didn't rattle at first, but when I swapped out the springs for lighter ones it rattled like crazy.  I forget what I paid, maybe 3 bucks each. 
This was super easy as there was no soldering needed for the hot swap board.  However, it would have been a bit of a hassle if I had to solder. 

I have been thinking about this-  Why don't manufacturers just include higher quality stabilizers in their builds?  There are plenty of people who will not buy a new Poker keyboard for example, because the rattling in the space bar.
It all comes down to the bottom line of course.  How much more can it cost Vortex to use better stabilizers per board-  $0.75?...  $1.25?  Maybe it's even less.  The quality of the stabilizers is a big factor when a consumer is determining
overall build quality.  Include the better parts and add that to the final cost of the board.  It will cost the consumer $10- $15 to buy the parts as well as the labor, and the majority of people aren't going to bust out a soldering gun, and most don't want to
and don't know how.  They will simply buy a board that doesn't rattle. 

Is my logic flawed?  It must be because if it wasn't, manufacturers would have caught on we would be on the way to ridding the world of spacebar rattle.   

[Leslieann]

Simple, most people aren't aware they can be better.

Until someone or something forces a market change companies (I.E. bean counters) will fight any attempt to spend more and alter the profit margin. You have to remember they aren't ordering 15 or 100 or even 200 keyboards at a time, they order THOUSANDS. It adds up and if it doesn't pay off you can lose even more.  As soon as someone proves it can work and forces them to do it, they likely won't.

[MIGHTY CHICKEN]

capitalism

[Sup]

Simple, most people aren't aware they can be better.

Until someone or something forces a market change companies (I.E. bean counters) will fight any attempt to spend more and alter the profit margin. You have to remember they aren't ordering 15 or 100 or even 200 keyboards at a time, they order THOUSANDS. It adds up and if it doesn't pay off you can lose even more.  As soon as someone proves it can work and forces them to do it, they likely won't.

This sometimes i go to friends and family members and there spacebars rattle so bad that i can't stand it but, for them it's like the norm. They aren't aware what good stabilizers are. They just see a keyboard as a keyboard nothing more.