[Arm-netbook] EOMA, Improv etc

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 2:18 PM, Boris Barbour <boris.barbour at ens.fr> wrote:
>
> Guys,
>
> Although it's hard to avoid the temptation of a good blamestorming session, it
> is a shame to see libre people fighting for little gain.

 boris: i have to inform the people who have been counting on us to
deliver as to what is going on, and why.

> Personally, I don't
> think it's a good idea to use the public mailing list for this.

 i totally disagree.  in fact i much prefer that *all* details be
covered on public mailing lists.  i have always disliked private
conversations for software libre projects, and now you know why.


> The fund-raising success of the Novena stuff suggests one path forward.

 bunny went to MIT where he learned hardware design.

 bunny has personal funds which he has received from clients and has
been able to redirect his own personal money into getting the project
off the ground.

 he was able to use those personal funds to create prototypes, as well
as use his considerable experience to not have to pay anyone else to
do the component sourcing and PCB design.

 once he reached the point where the PCB was demonstrably working,
*then* he was able to approach case designers, and again use his
personal funds to create a prototype.

 once he had a case design, *then* he was able to get onto the
fundraiser sites and raise funds.

 now here is the difference:

1) when i started this project, i had zero hardware design experience,
and zero funds.

2) i have been operating this project for four years with a $USD
40,000 personal debt continuously kept at bay, putting all and any
personal money received into the project *instead* of paying off that
debt, but have only received an average of $USD 15,000 income *per
year* over the past 4 years, with outgoings averaging around $20,000.
various family members and in one case complete strangers have at
various times given or lent me personal funds in order to keep going.

3) i did not have the experience to do PCB design, so i asked other
people if they would like to help.  not one of those people who
offered has delivered.

4) i was therefore forced to either pay up to $10,000 of personal
funds to get PCBs designed or

5) i was forced to learn PCB design in order to get the project done.

so it is a completely different story, completely different scenario.
and yes i have already approached bunny to ask him if he would like to
help: he declined.

so, having had so many libre people let me down i am going to do this
myself, controlled entirely 100%.  they've been offered the
opportunity to help out and to share in the profits: my conscience
which tells me to prioritise libre people and give them the
opportunity to participate is therefore in the clear if i now operate
this 100% entirely controlled and receive 100% of the profits.

once it is financially self-sustaining i can revisit that decision.


> The
> EOMA project will find it a lot easier to raise funding and gain traction if it
> can demonstrate a prototype product integrating a prototype eoma board.

 that was done already *months* ago.  august or september 2013.

> There
> are some working prototypes of the board already, if I understand correctly.
> What would be the easiest (=cheapest) product to build? I'm guessing a mini-
> pc, since there is no screen to integrate and no real space constraint,

 correct.  you are looking at the mini desktop pc basically.  i
completed the first revision in december 2013.

> although a latptop or a tablet would be a bit more exciting. What would be
> required?

 money, boris.  very simple.  about $1500 or so per PCB revision
including component population and buying.  it can be done cheaper but
only by someone who is skilled at PCB population.

 however that is $1500 per *iteration* and it will likely take at
least 2 iterations.  there is a technique for reducing the cost and
risk, by splitting the PCB into modules and then integrating each
part.  however in this case as space is quite tight (100mm x 100 or
so) it is difficult to do that.  and time-consuming.

 l.