I guess this all depends on whether Hoya-Pentax sees the entry level market as a place to increase visibility of the brand. IMHO, it would be a mistake to let the K200D be their basic entry level model. I think that the entry level customers need something that is dead simple. Not retro, not especially pocketable, but dead simple for a tyro to operate and reset to basic operation if you depart from the basic settings. This might mean replacing the ae mode dial altogether, and replacing it with a mode button that can be held down while the e-dial is rotated to move from "Auto-pict". Add a master reset button to return all settings to factory defaults. Make the factory defaults "Auto-pict" ae, Multipoint AF, Evaluative metering, Auto WB, Auto Iso, Auto Flash activation with red-eye reduction and af assist, cancel aec and flash ec.
If Pentaxes do underexpose in general(I don't necessarily believe this but it I will recognize the complaint), make the tyro model not. If awb is deliberately off(again, I've used canon and sony, and they weren't particularly good at awb either, but I'll recognize the complaint), make the tyro model awb better.
Some other things, if you want to sell entry-level imo:
You'll need live view(even some variation of how sony does it), 10MP, SR and jpeg capture(10MP best quality should be the default when the camera is reset). WB settings should be basic with different presets and a custom wb, no K settings, no fine tuning.
Leave off the top deck lcd, auto-bracketing, optical DOF preview(at least, maybe leave off electronic preview as well) and unless you're going to introduce a weather-sealed DA 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 AL III that can be included in the kit, leave off weather-seals. Leave off fittings for a battery grip.
Sell in kit form only with choice of 18-55 or 18-250 zoom lens.
And of course all this needs to be at least $100 less expensive than the K200D.
To help with this:
Create a fancified K200D kit, include either an 18-55 kit lens, or an 18-250, throw in the latest edition of Corel Paintshop Pro Photo and add the Magic Lantern guide for the K200D. Come up with a good name for the kit that doesn't have a "*" in it. (Incidentally, the Pentax K100D/DS is the box cover camera for the latest edition of Paintshop Pro Photo.)
Some other possibilities, promote gear with a two-way deal with Epson printers.
If you could get these products in stores like Wal-Mart, Meijer, Best Buy and Target, they could be sold and compete with the other brands. A "pro" model is only going to matter if the company stays in business. And if pentax doesn't, I pray only that Samsung takes over the mount and does as good a job as Sony has of promoting their products(actually Sony makes ok gear, much like Canon and Nikon, and I think all three are very overpriced for what you get). Maybe Samsung has the money to hire an Hollywood star who is popular(despite my befuddlement at the phenomenon, since he seems to be under-gifted with anything in the way of talent) and can hawk their gear on TV.
And if Samsung would like to give me a GX-20 or GX-10 for my ideas, or Pentax would like to give me a K20D or K200D or even better a DA* 50-135 f2.8 for my ideas, who would I be to refuse?
