[Arm-netbook] update mar 2015

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

ok apologies i haven't been keeping people up-to-date recently as much
as i used to.  lots still going on.

first thing: i learned that the rule "plan to do 3 revisions" applies
equally as well to 3D CAD/CAM as it does to software.  so with the
15.6in laptop casework i've started again - it's still an Open
Hardware project - the 2nd version is simpler and also will be only
around 17mm high.  the simplicity comes in part from fitting the PCB
connectors to protrude from the left hand side instead of from the
back, and secondly from having a bit more of a clue about how to put
parts together!

in the redesign, top-facing parts of the base mostly go front-to-back,
whilst underside parts of the base go left-to-right and interlock
(overlap) with the top parts.  it... also looks better :)  also i'm
kinda mulling over the idea of filling in the middle parts with bamboo
(or other wood / recyclable) laminates, then using very thin stickers
to cover the top and bottom to give a smooth surface.

second: i was lucky enough (thank you to the shenzen hackerspace
member for the introduction) to be referred to factoryforall, which it
turns out is run by tully (he worked on the openmoko years ago).
tully has set up shop, now, in shenzen, and has a pick-and-place
robot, 2 and 4 layer PCB manufacturing facilities, PCB oven, has the
contacts for component sourcing, plastic and metal casework... awesome
stuff.  anyway i've asked him if he can quote for making the
EOMA68-JZ4775 CPU Card samples - it's much smaller and more compact
than he's used to, but that's just what makes it more exciting :)
hampoo will make the 6-layer PCB (they're very very good... just very
busy at the moment).  later on i will ask tully if he can handle the
prototypes for the base units (laptop and so on) as he can do 4 layer
in-house no problem.

thirdly: thank you to alexander and others who have offered to write
up testimonials, as well as the gratipay [1] donations - the idea is
to reach lots of people for whom even something like $1 to $10 a week
is well within a reasonable budget for them.  your help finding people
willing to support what i'm doing very gratefully received.

l.

[1] turns out that gratipay is software libre!
https://github.com/gratipay/gratipay.com