[Arm-netbook] ARM summit at Plumbers 2011

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 3:29 PM, Mark Constable <markc at renta.net> wrote:
> On 2011-08-27 07:55 PM, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
>> ...
>> i don't mind that happening: all i want is my damn 1280x800 12in (and
>> importantly $160) ARM-based laptop, damnit :)
>
> I would have thought someone with your experience would know that price
> is completely unrealistic at retail in the west

 i was joking, but i was also serious.  no - it's not [unrealistic].
people have been *trained* to think that it's completely unrealistic.

 as the $150 FOB price of the ipad 1 vs its retail price of $700
demonstrates: people have been TRAINED to pay through the nose for
stuff that's made at rock-bottom prices.

 now, $160 doesn't leave very much room for profit margins, but then
that's the case for x86 hardware right now _anyway_ (10 to 12% for
eeeeveryone in the chain.  not 10% for the manufacturer, 10% for the
middleman, 10% for the sales guy - 10% for EVERYONE).

 * only 6 months ago a GPL-violating laptop with a 10.1in LCD was
available from next called the "SurferPro".  the retail price was
£120.  the reviews were however so shit (because it had been
mis-advertised as a Cortex A9 1ghz when it was in fact an ARM11
GPL-violating Telechips 1ghz) that they had to pull the plug.

 * almost over three _years_ ago there was a highly successful ingenic
jz4740 MIPS CPU which spawned a rash of 7in laptops that ended up
selling off for £95.

so yes, it can be done, mark.

btw, with respect: i have to say that this is the second time you've
sent a message to this list which has, at its heart, "give up,
everybody - the goal of affordable desirable low power computing
appliances is not achievable.  get something expensive or rubbish
instead".

so... whilst this may sound strange, i do have to say it: if you'd
like to spearhead a project that recommends to people that they buy
expensive ARM-based equipment that retails for far more than
equivalent x86 hardware, or if you'd like to spearhead a project that
recommends to people that they buy low-cost equipment that doesn't
actually fulfil their needs, please feel free to do so, but please,
with respect, please keep _this_ list free from such recommendations
at this critical stage of the project.  we have been over these kinds
of products (in both undesirable categories), a number of times
already, over the past 18 months since this list was started.

thank you for respecting the wishes of the project and list
administrators in this regard, mark.

l.