[Arm-netbook] The future of EOMA-68

[Paul Boddie]

On Tuesday 5. May 2015 12.00.54 Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
> 
>  bearing in mind that the unit cost of assembly for the EOMA68-A20
> board is to be around $60 (in qty 250) and the micro-engineering board
> around $30 (in qty 250), those NREs above (total $6500) divided by 250
> comes to an extra $26, the unit *COST* comes to an amazingly high $USD
> 116.
> 
>  .... nothing like the $35 for a wandboard or whatever it's called, is it?
> 
> but that's just how it is.

That's why it is so worthwhile pitching this for the freedom-related benefits 
rather than the cost-related benefits at this point in time. After all, the 
unit cost of the Neo900 is probably going to end up being 700 EUR, but there 
wasn't a shortage of people willing to pay that amount for something that 
prioritises things like Free Software capabilities, openness and privacy.

Sure, there is also the stream of people comparing the Neo900 to the latest 
locked-down Android device that supposedly costs half as much on a subsidy but 
which actually costs more if those people had bothered to look at the total 
outlay, which of course they don't. And those people will happily whine about 
not getting updates to the software or that Google are mining their data, as 
they check their GMail and otherwise make full use of Google services. (One 
could remark similarly about disdain from Apple users and from both of the 
Windows Phone users.)

If Bunnie can sell "heirloom" Novena laptops for $5000 or so apiece, there has 
to be some scope for headroom on the price amongst people who appreciate the 
nature of the effort, even amongst those of more modest means. :-)

Paul