[Arm-netbook] ATX motherboard

[Bari Ari]

On 10/17/2012 07:32 AM, Alexey Eromenko wrote:
> Such an ARM PC, if priced under $100, could make a killing.
> This machine will target 2 communities: Android buyers and GNU/Linux
> buyers. Much easier to sell.

Some people feel this way, but PC makers do not believe this to be true. 
If the fact is that a manufacturer can make a killing (assuming you mean 
a large profit) doing this, wouldn't at least one be doing it? Maybe if 
the facts were presented clearly a manufacturer would make this happen. 
The real killing seems to be in creating status symbols with very wide 
profit margins with built in obsolescence.

Is there an actual profitable market in manufacturing sub $100 ARM PC's? 
Are most PC makers under the control of Wintel? Are the rest just poorly 
managed? Do they all make more profit by building in obsolescence via 
locking the bootloaders in smartphones and tablets? Why do ARM SOC's 
vendors make their devices so difficult or impossible to purchase for 
designs like these? Why did VIA design a board with a great concept and 
then drop a slow ARM SOC on it that nobody wants anymore in addition to 
the other crippling issues you mention?

> I think Solidrun Cubox ticks most of the boxes, apart from a *TX form
> factor (it's a 2" cube).

If the Solidrun Cubox is close to the ideal spec except for the lack of 
open docs and a few other things, why is it priced out of consideration 
at $139.99 to keep it from becoming popular?

Hardkernel offers a quad core ARM Cortex-A9 developer board for only 
$129 in single quantity
http://www.hardkernel.com/renewal_2011/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G133999328931

They or others could easily spin a board to make a complete PC in high 
volume for under $100 with the same ARM SOC and features. Why isn't 
Hardkernel or any other manufacturer doing this with the Exynos4412? The 
Exynos 4412 Quad Core CPU Module for $119 in single quantity is sold out!
http://www.hardkernel.com/renewal_2011/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G134032695534

How many million did they sell to exceed the capacity of the foundry at 
Samsung? Was Hardkernel only allocated a few hundred or a few thousand 
4412 SOC's?

The Wandaboard's start at $69 ea in single quantity. Unfortunately the 
boards only support a fraction of the features available in the i.mx6.
http://www.wandboard.org/

Freescale seems to be making the i.mx6 available to anyone at any 
quantity. The i.mx6 supports all the features you mention. Maybe someone 
could be convinced to make an imx6 board with all the wanted features 
with plenty of room for profit.

If manufacturers are actually unaware of this high profit market for an 
ARM PC priced under $100, what can we do about getting them the facts to 
understand this? Is it merely due to the lack of or ignorance of the 
facts, or are there other reasons why sub $100 ARM PC's don't exist?

-Bari