[Arm-netbook] CC3000 Wi-Fi for MCU

[Philip Hands]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:58:47 +0100, Vladimir Pantelic <vladoman at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 01/25/2012 01:23 PM, Alejandro Mery wrote:
> > On Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 13:18, Gordan Bobic<gordan at bobich.net>  wrote:
> >> Vladimir Pantelic wrote:
> >>> On 01/25/2012 11:03 AM, lkcl luke wrote:
> >>>>    this is the kind of thing that would be recommended for purchase via
> >>>> the FSF's web site.
> >>>>
> >>>>    the only problem is that i can't find a CPU that's fast enough, small
> >>>> enough, has fast enough interfaces and also isn't an insane cost.
> >>>
> >>> basically an elaborate version of the sabbath light switch...
> >>
> >> Or: "Cheap, fast, reliable. Pick any two."
> >
> > In this context one picks the last two. "freedom" is unfortunatelly not cheap.
> 
> What we have here is basically two identical pieces of hardware, both
> running an identical firmware and performing exactly the same, with
> the sole difference that one of them has the write protect fuse set
> and thus is called the "free" one, right?

The irony is that one can build the non-free system, with thoroughly
toxic firmware being uploaded, tell the OS never to upgrade itself,
encase it in epoxy, and then plug that in as a wifi bridge to an
identical machine, that has no wifi chip fitted, and you've passed the
test (by simply doubling the cost, power consumption, and volume), so
the result is called free.

I struggle to agree with this position ... and fail to do so, but well
done luke for trying.

Might I suggest that you ignore the fact that RMS thinks that embedding
toxic firmware in hardware is OK in this case, and go for leaving the
customer an empty USB slot, so that they can throw their own freedom
away as they see fit, of if you want it soldered on, only accept free
firmware.

Cheers, Phil.
-- 
|)|  Philip Hands [+44 (0)20 8530 9560]    http://www.hands.com/
|-|  HANDS.COM Ltd.                    http://www.uk.debian.org/
|(|  10 Onslow Gardens, South Woodford, London  E18 1NE  ENGLAND
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