Linn LP-12 still competitive with the very best?

Schipo, to answer your question about if it ain't broke don't fix it, its real simple. Linn has been selling thousands of turntables a year for over 30 yrs. using the same "obselete" design so obviously its competitive! Again, if it were not I'm fairly sure they would have changed. As mentioned above they've been in business for over 35 yrs. so I think they have a little understanding about how to sell good turntables. You don't stay in business that long selling inferior and obsolete products! So again, I say if it ain't broke don't fix it!
Also, if you can tell me how many more turntables Vpi and rega sold than linn, then maybe I'll consider your competive argument. But I doubt that will happen.

So, all or most are ignoring the superior design's from such as Goldmund, VPI and Teres turntables and just going with they Linn sell many a turntable so they must be doing something right. Well if the design was just what your claiming, why look anywhere in the way of new modern materials such as metacrylic or by using better manufacturing techniques with new bonding methods, just Linn does it right. Now lets just forget where all in the 21st century and instead time marches backwards.

A previous poster chose to use the example of atomic force microscopy to illustrate the alleged inanity of my comment about measuring thrust plate flatness with light.

The cantilever deflection in atomic force microscopy is most widely measured with optical methods, either with an interferometer or the beam-bounce method. With beam bounce, an optical beam is reflected from the back side of the cantilever to a position-sensitive photodetector.

I would say that Linn is no longer competitive with some of the top contenders out there.

The Linn is competitive with the Rega and all the Rega clones out there. God knows there are enough of those, but competitive with the very best? That wasn't really a serious question was it?