[Arm-netbook] Wifi

[lkcl luke]

On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 6:46 PM, jonsmirl at gmail.com <jonsmirl at gmail.com> wrote:
> I installed/removed a SO-DIMM CPU card with one hand while holding the
> camera, it takes about two seconds.

 ah, but what did you do with it then?  did you then put it in your
handbag (ok maybe not), throw it on a pile of papers, put it into the
top pocket of your nylon shirt, or the polyester fluffy-jumper pocket,
the one that goes "crackle, crackle" and glows in the dark when you
take it off?

 and, additionally, how did you get access to the SO-DIMM CPU card?
is the device open (no case) or were screws removed from it before
gaining access to it?

 by re-using a PCMCIA card housing and assembly, you get the
advantages of two second removal time at the *end-user* level, and
*without* the users completely destroying the computer through
ignorance of anti-static precautions.

 it's a very different ballgame from the hardware-engineer level.
re-using PCMCIA means however that even the hardware-engineer can take
advantage of the CPU card as almost a... "commodity item".

 instead of $20k to $150k NREs pushing up the pricing on the CPU
module (because it was a specialist "engineering" item), it's now $2k
of NREs, which was amortised into the cost of the first... 20 units!
(for Software Libre Developers)

 btw we're over 30 alpha-grade preorders now, possibly even more: i'm
writing a script to process them, but i think we're below $75 per unit
(initial samples) now.  if it gets to 40 alpha-grade preorders that'll
be $50 each, which could well bring in more people because several
people specified max budgets.


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7xQesc-yvs&feature=youtu.be
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKq7j17EwpI&feature=youtu.be
>
> That card has almost identical features to what you are building.

 Dimensions 	 66 x 48 mm

 the area on a PCMCIA CPU card is 50% bigger.  that means that there's
space for lower-cost components, such as being able to use 8
lower-density DDR RAM ICs instead of being forced to use high-density
single 1gb DRAMs.  likewise for NAND ICs.

 if the PCBs are designed to be able to take say up to 4 NAND ICs and
8 RAM ICs, or 8 NAND ICs and 4 RAM ICs (using both sides of the board)
then the factory whom we're talking to can take advantage of local
fluctuations in pricing, to get the best deals.

 if however the card is smaller, they'll be forced to stick to very
specific RAM and NAND ICs, and the product becomes uncompetitive for
them.