[Arm-netbook] microdesktop case, laptop pcb1 and pcb2, etc.

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 12:42 PM, Allan Mwenda <allanitomwesh at gmail.com> wrote:
> Just gonna ask here coz I'm too lazy.

 :)

> How hard would it be to repurpose one of these cheap $200 macbook clone
> things with intel atoms to take an eoma68 card instead? I can already
> imagine the rockchip one in it :)

 yeah me too.  ok, repurposing of existing casework comes up as a
recurring theme, quite a lot: i was one of the people who believed,
back when this project started, that it would be practical and
perfectly reasonable.  so i wrote it up as one of the updates, "laptop
comparison".  ha, cool, i just encountered this:

 https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop/updates/the-opposite-of-the-eoma-68-modular-laptop

 i'm redoing that PCB you can see at the end of that one, except it'll
be coloured green.. :)

 this was the one:
 https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop/updates/laptop-comparisons

 and... ah.  that's strange... i didn't add the bits about the
impracticalities of sourcing the components.(which are flat-out
impossible in the anticipated quantities).  that _was_ the whole
purpose of mentioning the update.  duuUuh :)

 ok so _somewhere_ i have a critique of the strategy which utilises
pre-existing casework: it's a comprehensive fail, pure and simple.

 why?

 well, if you get some existing casework, it's likely to be at least 1
to 10 years old.  the company that made the connectors - SPECIFICALLY
for that SPECIFIC laptop case as SPECIAL ORDER ITEMS will have a
unique relationship with the designer of the laptop.

 conversations between you and that supplier would go something like this:

 you: "hello!  we want to make a PCB based around a proprietary laptop
case!  please give us 100 of your connectors!"

 supplier (very puzzled supplier): "hello!  glad to hear from you.
are you a representative of the company whom we signed an NDA with
whom we have multi-million-dollar supply contracts?"

 you: "errr.... no?  i just want 100 of your $0.10 connectors that you
made 10 years ago"

 supplier (who is probably trying to be veery diplomatic by now): "10
years ago?  you want to give us $10 for some parts where the tooling's
been destroyed over 9 years ago and it would cost us $100k to remake
it, and it's a proprietary (copyrighted) design as part of one of our
unique client contracts??"

... you get the general idea, allan?  :)

even if it's a common design, as i've found out already, you need a
*personal* connection - someone who *actually* has worked with that
casework and knows *all* of the components *and* suppliers, has a good
relationship with them, and is prepared to risk that because you're
*guaranteed* to order at least 1k and preferably 10k units...

.all of this should give you the general impression that it is a f***
of a lot of work and risk for almost zero return.  it's similar to the
hilarious "how i made a $3 toaster for $1800" ted talk, which is well
worth watching.

   https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_thwaites_how_i_built_a_toaster_from_scratch/transcript?language=en

l.