<html> <body> Well, Ric. Maybe so. Maybe no. At least until they all realize that an acoustic doesn't have to be replace every 5-10 years to stay "current"! We can always hope! Avery At 01:14 PM 1/3/2007, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hi Alan, and others. I know my position on this is an uncomfortable one.  But I think I really have to stick with it because I really do think sooner or later the electronic version of the piano will simply become to attractive an alternative to the market for the industry to be able to sustain itself.  I see the first serious stage of electronic replacements happening already now in schools and in various less serious minded concert situations.  In hotels over here there are very few acoustic pianos left around.  They rip out the guts of a grand and stick a keyboard in there.... literally. As the electronic piano becomes more and more like its acoustic ancestor the market will realize that they are cheaper, do not need tuning, are portable and can do all kinds of things the acoustic piano cant.  When that happens all the low end pianos will start to disappear.... and the companies that make them as well.... the knowledge base will be substantially weakened exasperating the situation.  In the end.... not in my life time certainly... but sooner or later... only a handfull of makers will survive as specialty/nostalgic builders who only put out a few hundred world wide each year. We are entering the age of virtual reality folks....  the industrial revolution is going to look bleak compared to whats in store for us in the comming 100 years. (if we can keep from blowing ourselves to smithereens that is). But for all you acoustic lovers out there... and I am one of them... we can all hope I am dead wrong. :) Cheers RicB    Ric and List,        A hundred years ago the "home entertainment system" was a piano.    The piano's place took a hit when radio came along, but did not    disappear.  T.V. stole much of radio's thunder, but did not replace    it entirely by a long shot.  Electronic keyboards are, IMHO, a    welcome replacement to the lowest PSOs, but haven't had a    significant impact on pianos of good quality.  Computers are another    predominant distraction from all of the aforementioned technologies,    yet we have new piano manufacturers throwing their hats into the    ring, satellite radio, more television stations than ever, and    electronic keyboards available for the price of a decent meal.         I guess what I am getting at is that the world has become more    crowded with things that vie for our attention, but the competition    posed by the new doesn't necessarily mean the extinction of the old.        Cheers,        Alan Eder</blockquote></body> </html>