Forget any thing abou the way phone carriers operate in any part of the world.
In the US, its a whole totally different way. Its not going to change any time soon. Although theres a couiple of MVNO's trying it.... it won't last since 99% of phones using SIM's are locked in the US.
Again, forget how SIM or RUIM work in your country, in the US, its not even close.
"Is RUIM used as yet by phones from Verizon or Sprint?"
No. Never have, never will. LOCKED IN and LOCKED DOWN. The US market does not want users having the ability to swap carriers to get better pricing, unless you willing to pay huge fees to do so from $175 to $350 PER DEVICE.
Its called R-UIM card, its similar to SIM and is part of the CDMA options....
US carriers INTENTIONALLY CHOSE NOT to use/offer R-UIM. In the US the cell market works vastly different than elsewhere. While I will agree that having a SIM or RUIM and I go get my own phone/device is a better way. Protocolwise CDMA only please.
"How widespread is the use of CDMA in the first place?"
60%+ of US subs are CDMA.
The inferior GSM is used by crApTT, TnoMobile and a few regional nobodies.
"Come on, America, at least move onto GSM. "
GSM is DEAD, and has been surpassed by UMTS and I've got news for you.
UMTS uses.... wait for it... WCDMA!
HA! So hate elsewhere dude.
LTE is closely related to GSM & UMTS as it uses the existing backend systems for GSM/UMTS, and there is an easy upgrade path for CDMA carriers for the backends, but LTE is OFDMA and more closely related to CDMA and WCDMA of UMTS than GSM's old GMSK on the RF side.
CDMA also has several RF and spectrum benefits that GSM do not.
A quickie check for my needs shows a about a $20/month savings, as I would get hotspot which VZW charges for...
BUT the big LOSS is COVERAGE. Like the adage says, location, location, location, and sprexhostgin has crap coverage, period. Where my VZW has full bars.
So huge loss of coverage in areas I need and might need it to save $240 year and get a feature that while it might be nice, if I have no coverage is useless.
Thanks, nut not thanks.
I like the plan idea to mix and match what I need, but first off you offer no UNLIMITED (that means NO DATA CAP), which I have since I've been with VZW since it was BAM.
Offer an UNLIMITED (NO CAP) data option, move to VZW for your network, then we'll talk.
"Just lookup the item # online and call ahead to the store. If they have it as"
Whoosssssshhhhhhh!
The whole point is NOT to use the phone! Point click go pick up. Seriously the level of stock intergration systems in the 21st century utterly sucks!
X store should be able to ACCURATELY tell me that widget 12345 is in stock in store 788 with 32 and its accurrate when I pulled it.
I've seen this all to often from all sorts of stores offering pick it up now services...
Then... how can it be in stock in the store and be out of stock online? ? ? HMMM??? IT CAN NOT!
The store should shove it in a box and UPS/USPS it to me! If the warehouse is out of stock and stock is in the store(s) then ship it to me! GO FETCH TIME! Hence why accurate stock systems need to be in place, and I seriously find it out of place that in 2012 this is not the norm.
"That would be us! I'll be handrolling a deb for now.."
Do you have a good HOWTO on this? Can the old java-package suite still be used for Maverick & Oneiric to create a DEB?
The DEB HOWTO's start from source packages, not the self extracting stuff from Sun(Oracle).
No DEB Packaging is not my main job.. but I am willing to learn with some tips & hints, please.
I am just not interested in 7 and especially OJDK or IcedTea, as its already known that the vendor(s) and author(s) of the software won't be fixing it for their software. The one piece is an open source, one man project and 90% of the time he is MIA till out of no where a release shows up. Software doesn't initialize at all. So if Sun (Oracle) fubar's things to the point it no longer works on their version, then I will just keep 6.30.
And as for the "security" issue, I think thats a good cover story and red herring.
May not be in the official repos, but you can add a PPA and install it, or get a distro which is smart enough to know that OJDK and Java 7 are duds and 99.99% of software doesn't work and install the last of the 6 branch by default, oh thats Julep Linux
And now I get to pin that package... yeah... more skills to learn..
", simply remove the package & install default-jdk. problem solved."
No then my software quits working... no thanks!
This is both commercial and open source, it does not, has not, and never will work on OJDK, and I for one and pleased with that.
oracle is a scerge and its 7 JRE is junk, and just after $$$ which we all knew but did nothing to stop it... and OJDK just go away!
"For almost all users, OpenJDK is just fine and is the one to use. (e.g. any Java plugins in the browser, almost any Java app). Anyone who is affected by this went to some effort to install Sun Java by hand specifically."
Wrong. OJDK is broken, and my software that I use daily doesn't and has never worked on it.
As for installing REAL Java by hand and alot of effort.
Nope. Came with my distro KMint, aka Linux Mint KDE (now defunct)
My new distro Julep, added a PPA, apt-get install and done.
"The Gnutella protocol, on the other hand, is still used by a wide variety of clients, including Limewire, Frostwire, and Bearshare."
Frostwire ate itself at a recent version , 5.x branch, and is Torrent only now. Many persons have refused to upgrade due to this and are using the 4.x branch instead.
"What concerns me more is the "proprietary" aspect. How many of the chip's features will be accessible by hobbyist developers? Will we be receiving full public documentation on how it works?"
No, getting data sheets from most silicon makers today, is tanamount to asking for state secrets,err...ok not such a good example, well not hapenning... and don't mention to the Pi people.
There was a blog post about the Software center that pervades the *buntu variants now...where did it come from?
Mint!
There was a rather terse post about how there was a conference that Mint devs were not a part of and then the basis of the Software center was the Mint Software thingy..
I personally don't find it useful v. synaptic or apt-get, but for others it serves a purpose, I guess.
I've got my own axe to grind with Mint... for other reasons, but they do good things mostly, too bad they blew it with their KDE version... oh well.
Not interested in prodcuts from three companies KVM=RH, no thanks, any thing from larry the tyrrant, or that washington state company. Duh thats why I am a LINUX USER!
VMWare just needs to step away from the rpm flavorade or at least a DEB over the shell script, and keep up with the current kernels for Server and ESXi(VSphere) as they tend to do for Player.
Oh, and two things:
1)FIX your !(@*&$!(*&!(&$! plugin for Server management! Its been dead since some dolt at mozilla borq'd plugins in the 3.6 branch. Create a stand alone native Linux client to manage Server VM's! I don't want to use some browser I detest to start with! Especially some ancient version I have to keep on some machine to manage the VM's on the server!
2) Management tools for LINUX, BSD! ! ! I only use Player, Server ESXi(VSphere) to manage MULTIPLE REAL OS VM's ie: multiple *NIX/BSD etc.... its not used to allow infections in! So what good is trying to sell me features I can not use as I can't do it on my systems!
Thanks for that... I never found that and wondered how they were not getting sued... missed opportunity Cisco... not a fan of legal action, but in this case it would be justified. Anything that takes down crapple or ms.
I would never have agreed to this if I was Cisco, and IOS is IOS, and it runs on Cisco products and has nothing to do with junk from crapple!
Hence why I do NOT user ANY of those programs. I use Konqueror and the tabs are in the CORRECT LOCATION. Click between tabs and the URL location changes to match the tab, don't see the problem. Thats what should happen.
Their view is in essence, that the tabs are sort of mini browsers with the main window a container for them all. That may be fine, but thats not what I like, and others seem to agree that thats their preference. So there needs to the option to use it either way. A few 100+ vocal users means there is more who don't post and just tolerate issues like this. So its a situation needs resolution.
Tabs were added as a new feature and they appeared under the URL location. Then some one decided that it needed improvement and should be mini browsers in a container, thats fine, if you want to OFFER THIS OPTIONAL "improvement." Then users can select to use your vision of improvement, or return back to the correct normal mode. Your improvement to the UI is not always an improvement to all users. When you change things from the way they were to start to something else, regardless of if it may or may not be better, some users will not like it, and you need to accomodate them when they voice their displeasure, not just blow them off.
Free v. paid software has a lot to do with it. Those in the free arena take the stance "you got it for free, tough..or provide the code." WRONG. Yes commercial vendors take the stance pay up! But free software tends to have this problem more than commercial
Your exactly right users have THEIR BEST INTEREST at stake. Duh! Thats why you the developer need to sift throught this to determine what is good and bad. You may have decided previously that tab relocation is a bad idea, developement issues, etc... When the USERS OVER WHELMINGLY state they want this, then its YOUR JOB TO FULFILL THIS REQUEST, period. Users=customers, regardless of cost of software, and the adage, The Customer is ALWAYS RIGHT.
You bet this makes for nightmares. Doing things I disagree with, as trivial as making something bold v. regular text. How stupid is that? Well the users whined, so it was changed, whining goes away. Yes, some changes are not so easy as 5uS code change, but 100+ users, have an issue. Sorry Charlie, time to listen and offer the option.
google is still WRONG. Period. And this is just making it worse, much worse.
Users communicate in what ever form they happen to have handy, proper or not, too bad, so sad. You STILL HAVE TO LISTEN to the USER INPUT REGARDLESS how it comes to you forum, bug tracker, email, note tied to a brick|rock, etc..
again, put the arrogance aside and LISTEN to the USER INPUT no matter how it gets to you.
google is wrong, on both counts, their action, and the design.
The tabs Go UNDER the address, period. Stop. Done.
This seems to be a trend in developers, open and outright disdain for users seems to have grown of recent with the newer crop of YOUNGER developers and the me generation types. Look no farther than KDE and the KMail developers.
I change things all the time that I think are not the correct way, similar to this, because user input has determined that for the USERS its in the wrong spot, for example. The users have spoken, LISTEN! Period.
If you release in to the public, then you take the responsability to ACCEPT USER INPUT. You can disagree, and the users will leave your program in the dust. No the attitude that "its free software, take it and like it or do it your self!" Does not wash any more, not when your aiming for your average Jane user v. other developers. Put your 'tude and your ego down, and be prepared to get told your every thing under the sun but nice. Welcome to PUBLIC software release. And for the record, yes, I have some very not so polite remarks for several developers of KDE and KMail, and a few other projects.
Motorola UCH80000, Nokia 280, Audiovox 9000, Audiovox 9155gpx, LG VX8610 Decoy (This the first time in years, that I did an upgrade in less than 5 or more years) LG VS740 ALly, but 2015 or so will be the next upgrade, maybe.
Well for one... lets start with the ever changing form factor and abilities.
Started out as about the size of 2 USB sticks. With HDMI on one end, and then USB on the other. Now its to credit card size, 256MB. (Yes, I read their fora about the 512MB PoP memory issue. thanks)
Next, plans to use Ubuntu, which this is perfect and right up Canonicals alley, so you would think! WRONG! WRONG! Canoncial (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/848154 ) PULLED the plug on the ARM V6 support and only supports the OMAP, basically TI is paying them to support the Beagleboards, so anything else ARM based is hosed, and you will have to go to Debian, or others. Thats fine, BUT... your targeting this to be used to do things like oh, play MP3's.. well then you have just run a foul of the DFSG, and 99.9999% of the Debian stuff has NO MP3 support unless you RECOMPILE IT! So your not going to do apt-get install mediaplayersoftware as it has NO MP3 support. Its great that it supports Ogg, but I provide Ogg formatted streams, and NO ONE USES them, but me. No arch or fedora doesn't count, first RPM based, and thanks but I've had enough dealings with RPM's on CentOS to say NO THANK YOU! Versus on Debian based DEBS and apt, simple as apt-get install, done.
Lets move on to connecing to see something..
HDMI? fail. Sure for the tech user side this not an issue. But if you aiming as stated by RPI that they want to see this in schools and developing areas, then HDMI is not a choice. Tons of old VGA monitors.
Oh..but we have compsite... Ok.. is that NTSC, PAL, or SECAM? And if its selectable how will I select it to start? If you need to keep costs under control your not going build 10K NTSC, 10K PAL, 1 SECAM, thats an inventory nightmare and cost issue right there.
Next, peripherals? Yes, the techies will walk over to their parts bin and pull out a USB hub, keyboard, mouse, no problem. Don't have it pick up some via ebay or if your lucky a decent local source. Again the techies aside, no problem. Back to that other target area, schools and developing areas. They are not likely to have spares of this available, and/or resources, namely $$$$, to fund purchase. And those touting get them from ebay etc... Ok... how is that going to work in the middle of the Africa for an area which may or may not have any data access, no ebay account, and no paypal account, let alone where its going to be shipped. Oh... groups/companies will donate those for projects. Great. You've got 100% commitments for 100% fulfment on these projects? Otherwise sourcing the various components for power supply, keyboard, mouse, hub etc. are not cheap, and easily will outpace the cost of the $25/35 board itself. And counter to what their spokeswoman on their fora thinks, this is not a "straw man" arguement. This IS an issue, and you need to have a plan on how your going to provide the WHOLE SYSTEM to users, and its not going to be $25 or $35, more like $75-99 with power supply, SD card with OS, keyboard, mouse, hub, HDMI cable, and/or VGA converter..... I love all those touting these $3 HDMI cables on ebay, and $7 s/h, again thats fine for the techie crowd who needs to pick up a few items, its not so good for some school in the middle of the Africa!
Now. I think this a FANTASTIC IDEA.. And I am game for 10 of the $35 Model B's right now, ship them over. If I can get their version of Debian to work with my project then I've solved a huge problem. I am very interested in this project... but I have doubts about the ability of this project to be viable OUTSIDE THE TECH ARENA, ie: those using the Ardurinos and Beagleboards. I am clearly in the techie developer side of this. I've got a price point I need to meet and trying to use a $150+ beagleboard don't cut it..
Personally, its a great idea, but dump the schools and delvoping areas aspect of this, and focus on competing in the Ardurino/Beagleboard arena, where there are people willing to pay for thi
Theres lots of buzz on this from the PR in May, lots of requests for users to get their hands on boards to test, how about invoving the community more in this project for testing of the alpha boards, etc.... I willing to purchase the board(s) at a 10-20% markup to support the project as well as to test out things and report problems, as well as be able to get my own needs met for possible use of the device in my own project.
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Forget any thing abou the way phone carriers operate in any part of the world.
In the US, its a whole totally different way. Its not going to change any time soon. Although theres a couiple of MVNO's trying it.... it won't last since 99% of phones using SIM's are locked in the US.
Again, forget how SIM or RUIM work in your country, in the US, its not even close.
"Is RUIM used as yet by phones from Verizon or Sprint?"
No. Never have, never will. LOCKED IN and LOCKED DOWN. The US market does not want users having the ability to swap carriers to get better pricing, unless you willing to pay huge fees to do so from $175 to $350 PER DEVICE.
" SIM for network authentication"
Its called R-UIM card, its similar to SIM and is part of the CDMA options....
US carriers INTENTIONALLY CHOSE NOT to use/offer R-UIM. In the US the cell market works vastly different than elsewhere. While I will agree that having a SIM or RUIM and I go get my own phone/device is a better way. Protocolwise CDMA only please.
"How widespread is the use of CDMA in the first place?"
60%+ of US subs are CDMA.
The inferior GSM is used by crApTT, TnoMobile and a few regional nobodies.
"Come on, America, at least move onto GSM. "
GSM is DEAD, and has been surpassed by UMTS and I've got news for you.
UMTS uses.... wait for it... WCDMA!
HA! So hate elsewhere dude.
LTE is closely related to GSM & UMTS as it uses the existing backend systems for GSM/UMTS, and there is an easy upgrade path for CDMA carriers for the backends, but LTE is OFDMA and more closely related to CDMA and WCDMA of UMTS than GSM's old GMSK on the RF side.
CDMA also has several RF and spectrum benefits that GSM do not.
A quickie check for my needs shows a about a $20/month savings, as I would get hotspot which VZW charges for...
BUT the big LOSS is COVERAGE. Like the adage says, location, location, location, and sprexhostgin has crap coverage, period. Where my VZW has full bars.
So huge loss of coverage in areas I need and might need it to save $240 year and get a feature that while it might be nice, if I have no coverage is useless.
Thanks, nut not thanks.
I like the plan idea to mix and match what I need, but first off you offer no UNLIMITED (that means NO DATA CAP), which I have since I've been with VZW since it was BAM.
Offer an UNLIMITED (NO CAP) data option, move to VZW for your network, then we'll talk.
"Just lookup the item # online and call ahead to the store. If they have it as"
Whoosssssshhhhhhh!
The whole point is NOT to use the phone! Point click go pick up. Seriously the level of stock intergration systems in the 21st century utterly sucks!
X store should be able to ACCURATELY tell me that widget 12345 is in stock in store 788 with 32 and its accurrate when I pulled it.
I've seen this all to often from all sorts of stores offering pick it up now services...
Then ... how can it be in stock in the store and be out of stock online? ? ? HMMM??? IT CAN NOT!
The store should shove it in a box and UPS/USPS it to me! If the warehouse is out of stock and stock is in the store(s) then ship it to me! GO FETCH TIME! Hence why accurate stock systems need to be in place, and I seriously find it out of place that in 2012 this is not the norm.
Hmmm.. Works GREAT!
Sharp MX4501N
Sharp AR620M
HP C7280's
HP 4500W
HP 7500A
All via network...
And HP makes it stupid wintard easy to print, scan and fax with their HP printers or AIO's.
sudo apt-get install hplip-gui
DONE! Print, scan, fax.
XSANE works great to scan via the network.
What was your point?
Oh still trying to use non PCL or PS printers in Linux, good luck.
Hell, even my beloved Kodaks have been set free, free at last with c2esp, scan and fax is still not supported, but you can at least print!
"That would be us! I'll be handrolling a deb for now.."
Do you have a good HOWTO on this? Can the old java-package suite still be used for Maverick & Oneiric to create a DEB?
The DEB HOWTO's start from source packages, not the self extracting stuff from Sun(Oracle).
No DEB Packaging is not my main job.. but I am willing to learn with some tips & hints, please.
I am just not interested in 7 and especially OJDK or IcedTea, as its already known that the vendor(s) and author(s) of the software won't be fixing it for their software. The one piece is an open source, one man project and 90% of the time he is MIA till out of no where a release shows up. Software doesn't initialize at all. So if Sun (Oracle) fubar's things to the point it no longer works on their version, then I will just keep 6.30.
And as for the "security" issue, I think thats a good cover story and red herring.
"latest Oneiric 11.10 release of ubuntu."
May not be in the official repos, but you can add a PPA and install it, or get a distro which is smart enough to know that OJDK and Java 7 are duds and 99.99% of software doesn't work and install the last of the 6 branch by default, oh thats Julep Linux
And now I get to pin that package... yeah... more skills to learn..
", simply remove the package & install default-jdk. problem solved."
No then my software quits working... no thanks!
This is both commercial and open source, it does not, has not, and never will work on OJDK, and I for one and pleased with that.
oracle is a scerge and its 7 JRE is junk, and just after $$$ which we all knew but did nothing to stop it... and OJDK just go away!
"For almost all users, OpenJDK is just fine and is the one to use. (e.g. any Java plugins in the browser, almost any Java app). Anyone who is affected by this went to some effort to install Sun Java by hand specifically."
Wrong. OJDK is broken, and my software that I use daily doesn't and has never worked on it.
As for installing REAL Java by hand and alot of effort.
Nope. Came with my distro KMint, aka Linux Mint KDE (now defunct)
My new distro Julep, added a PPA, apt-get install and done.
Bad move canoncial, bad bad bad....
"The Gnutella protocol, on the other hand, is still used by a wide variety of clients, including Limewire, Frostwire, and Bearshare."
Frostwire ate itself at a recent version , 5.x branch, and is Torrent only now. Many persons have refused to upgrade due to this and are using the 4.x branch instead.
It was the best all round P2P client for Linux.
Bad move on their part, but too late now.
"What concerns me more is the "proprietary" aspect. How many of the chip's features will be accessible by hobbyist developers? Will we be receiving full public documentation on how it works?"
No, getting data sheets from most silicon makers today, is tanamount to asking for state secrets,err...ok not such a good example, well not hapenning... and don't mention to the Pi people.
See:
http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=1077
There was a blog post about the Software center that pervades the *buntu variants now...where did it come from?
Mint!
There was a rather terse post about how there was a conference that Mint devs were not a part of and then the basis of the Software center was the Mint Software thingy..
I personally don't find it useful v. synaptic or apt-get, but for others it serves a purpose, I guess.
I've got my own axe to grind with Mint... for other reasons, but they do good things mostly, too bad they blew it with their KDE version... oh well.
DESQView/X!
Not interested in prodcuts from three companies KVM=RH, no thanks, any thing from larry the tyrrant, or that washington state company. Duh thats why I am a LINUX USER!
VMWare just needs to step away from the rpm flavorade or at least a DEB over the shell script, and keep up with the current kernels for Server and ESXi(VSphere) as they tend to do for Player.
Oh, and two things:
1)FIX your !(@*&$!(*&!(&$! plugin for Server management! Its been dead since some dolt at mozilla borq'd plugins in the 3.6 branch. Create a stand alone native Linux client to manage Server VM's! I don't want to use some browser I detest to start with! Especially some ancient version I have to keep on some machine to manage the VM's on the server!
2) Management tools for LINUX, BSD! ! ! I only use Player, Server ESXi(VSphere) to manage MULTIPLE REAL OS VM's ie: multiple *NIX/BSD etc.... its not used to allow infections in! So what good is trying to sell me features I can not use as I can't do it on my systems!
Thanks for that... I never found that and wondered how they were not getting sued... missed opportunity Cisco... not a fan of legal action, but in this case it would be justified. Anything that takes down crapple or ms.
I would never have agreed to this if I was Cisco, and IOS is IOS, and it runs on Cisco products and has nothing to do with junk from crapple!
Hence why I do NOT user ANY of those programs. I use Konqueror and the tabs are in the CORRECT LOCATION. Click between tabs and the URL location changes to match the tab, don't see the problem. Thats what should happen.
Their view is in essence, that the tabs are sort of mini browsers with the main window a container for them all. That may be fine, but thats not what I like, and others seem to agree that thats their preference. So there needs to the option to use it either way. A few 100+ vocal users means there is more who don't post and just tolerate issues like this. So its a situation needs resolution.
Tabs were added as a new feature and they appeared under the URL location. Then some one decided that it needed improvement and should be mini browsers in a container, thats fine, if you want to OFFER THIS OPTIONAL "improvement." Then users can select to use your vision of improvement, or return back to the correct normal mode. Your improvement to the UI is not always an improvement to all users. When you change things from the way they were to start to something else, regardless of if it may or may not be better, some users will not like it, and you need to accomodate them when they voice their displeasure, not just blow them off.
Free v. paid software has a lot to do with it. Those in the free arena take the stance "you got it for free, tough..or provide the code." WRONG. Yes commercial vendors take the stance pay up! But free software tends to have this problem more than commercial
Your exactly right users have THEIR BEST INTEREST at stake. Duh! Thats why you the developer need to sift throught this to determine what is good and bad. You may have decided previously that tab relocation is a bad idea, developement issues, etc... When the USERS OVER WHELMINGLY state they want this, then its YOUR JOB TO FULFILL THIS REQUEST, period. Users=customers, regardless of cost of software, and the adage, The Customer is ALWAYS RIGHT.
You bet this makes for nightmares. Doing things I disagree with, as trivial as making something bold v. regular text. How stupid is that? Well the users whined, so it was changed, whining goes away. Yes, some changes are not so easy as 5uS code change, but 100+ users, have an issue. Sorry Charlie, time to listen and offer the option.
google is still WRONG. Period. And this is just making it worse, much worse.
Users communicate in what ever form they happen to have handy, proper or not, too bad, so sad. You STILL HAVE TO LISTEN to the USER INPUT REGARDLESS how it comes to you forum, bug tracker, email, note tied to a brick|rock, etc..
again, put the arrogance aside and LISTEN to the USER INPUT no matter how it gets to you.
google is wrong, on both counts, their action, and the design.
The tabs Go UNDER the address, period. Stop. Done.
This seems to be a trend in developers, open and outright disdain for users seems to have grown of recent with the newer crop of YOUNGER developers and the me generation types. Look no farther than KDE and the KMail developers.
I change things all the time that I think are not the correct way, similar to this, because user input has determined that for the USERS its in the wrong spot, for example. The users have spoken, LISTEN! Period.
If you release in to the public, then you take the responsability to ACCEPT USER INPUT. You can disagree, and the users will leave your program in the dust. No the attitude that "its free software, take it and like it or do it your self!" Does not wash any more, not when your aiming for your average Jane user v. other developers. Put your 'tude and your ego down, and be prepared to get told your every thing under the sun but nice. Welcome to PUBLIC software release. And for the record, yes, I have some very not so polite remarks for several developers of KDE and KMail, and a few other projects.
Nope.
Not a tablet
No GPS
No camera(s)
No cellular data (CDMA, LTE, UMTS, GSM)
Not a true Android device, as its been adulterated with a custom UI, and browser
Not interested in purchasing media books or any thing like that, so it essentially
Serves no purpose for me.....
If some one comes up with a away to put a Custom ROM with a stock Android on it to allow it to function as a true tablet fine.
All I can say is there are a lot of suckers out there.
"Who keeps the same phone for five years?"
I do!
Motorola UCH80000, Nokia 280, Audiovox 9000, Audiovox 9155gpx, LG VX8610 Decoy (This the first time in years, that I did an upgrade in less than 5 or more years) LG VS740 ALly, but 2015 or so will be the next upgrade, maybe.
Thats since 1984 or so....
"Why the skepticism?"
Well for one... lets start with the ever changing form factor and abilities.
Started out as about the size of 2 USB sticks. With HDMI on one end, and then USB on the other. Now its to credit card size, 256MB. (Yes, I read their fora about the 512MB PoP memory issue. thanks)
Next, plans to use Ubuntu, which this is perfect and right up Canonicals alley, so you would think! WRONG! WRONG! Canoncial (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/848154 ) PULLED the plug on the ARM V6 support and only supports the OMAP, basically TI is paying them to support the Beagleboards, so anything else ARM based is hosed, and you will have to go to Debian, or others. Thats fine, BUT... your targeting this to be used to do things like oh, play MP3's.. well then you have just run a foul of the DFSG, and 99.9999% of the Debian stuff has NO MP3 support unless you RECOMPILE IT! So your not going to do apt-get install mediaplayersoftware as it has NO MP3 support. Its great that it supports Ogg, but I provide Ogg formatted streams, and NO ONE USES them, but me. No arch or fedora doesn't count, first RPM based, and thanks but I've had enough dealings with RPM's on CentOS to say NO THANK YOU! Versus on Debian based DEBS and apt, simple as apt-get install, done.
Lets move on to connecing to see something..
HDMI? fail. Sure for the tech user side this not an issue. But if you aiming as stated by RPI that they want to see this in schools and developing areas, then HDMI is not a choice. Tons of old VGA monitors.
Oh..but we have compsite... Ok.. is that NTSC, PAL, or SECAM? And if its selectable how will I select it to start? If you need to keep costs under control your not going build 10K NTSC, 10K PAL, 1 SECAM, thats an inventory nightmare and cost issue right there.
Next, peripherals? Yes, the techies will walk over to their parts bin and pull out a USB hub, keyboard, mouse, no problem. Don't have it pick up some via ebay or if your lucky a decent local source. Again the techies aside, no problem. Back to that other target area, schools and developing areas. They are not likely to have spares of this available, and/or resources, namely $$$$, to fund purchase. And those touting get them from ebay etc... Ok... how is that going to work in the middle of the Africa for an area which may or may not have any data access, no ebay account, and no paypal account, let alone where its going to be shipped. Oh... groups/companies will donate those for projects. Great. You've got 100% commitments for 100% fulfment on these projects? Otherwise sourcing the various components for power supply, keyboard, mouse, hub etc. are not cheap, and easily will outpace the cost of the $25/35 board itself. And counter to what their spokeswoman on their fora thinks, this is not a "straw man" arguement. This IS an issue, and you need to have a plan on how your going to provide the WHOLE SYSTEM to users, and its not going to be $25 or $35, more like $75-99 with power supply, SD card with OS, keyboard, mouse, hub, HDMI cable, and/or VGA converter..... I love all those touting these $3 HDMI cables on ebay, and $7 s/h, again thats fine for the techie crowd who needs to pick up a few items, its not so good for some school in the middle of the Africa!
Now. I think this a FANTASTIC IDEA.. And I am game for 10 of the $35 Model B's right now, ship them over. If I can get their version of Debian to work with my project then I've solved a huge problem. I am very interested in this project... but I have doubts about the ability of this project to be viable OUTSIDE THE TECH ARENA, ie: those using the Ardurinos and Beagleboards. I am clearly in the techie developer side of this. I've got a price point I need to meet and trying to use a $150+ beagleboard don't cut it..
Personally, its a great idea, but dump the schools and delvoping areas aspect of this, and focus on competing in the Ardurino/Beagleboard arena, where there are people willing to pay for thi
Can you confirm that that device will have the optional FPU system?
http://www.arm.com/products/processors/technologies/vector-floating-point.php
http://www.arm.com/products/processors/classic/arm11/arm1176.php, under specifications under ISA support, FPU *OPTIONAL* this is a must have.
This is listed as OPTIONAL... media codex require the FPU to be used ie: LAME, ogg etc... for encoding...
I am not discussing what it may decode, ENCODING of audio for streaming in mp3, ogg, AAC, FLAC etc...
How about more involvement from the community?
Theres lots of buzz on this from the PR in May, lots of requests for users to get their hands on boards to test, how about invoving the community more in this project for testing of the alpha boards, etc.... I willing to purchase the board(s) at a 10-20% markup to support the project as well as to test out things and report problems, as well as be able to get my own needs met for possible use of the device in my own project.