[Arm-netbook] Why Free hardware fails

[Robert Wilkinson]

Hello

"Such problems are difficult to handle by themselves. But in
addition, any production run has fixed costs that, as Len Leighton,
who is currently fundraising for the EOMA68 laptop, explained to me
in a private email, remain very much the same regardless of how many
units are built. As a result, units in a small run are more
expensive, and have a hard time matching the specifications of
leading manufacturers. This is a serious problem because, while
idealists will buy free hardware for ethical reasons, others
potential users will not consider free hardware unless its specs are
competitive with the proprietary hardware sold in computer stores."

from

http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/Blogs/Off-the-Beat-Bruce-Byfield-s-Blog/Why-free-hardware-fails?utm_source=Linux+Update&utm_campaign=Linux_Update_117_Impress_2016-08-24&utm_medium=email

Who is this Len person?

Bob

[Robert Wilkinson]

On Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 08:24:17PM +0200, Robert Wilkinson wrote:

And more pertinently

http://www.linux-magazine.com/Online/Features/A-Free-Laptop-Project?utm_source=Linux+Update&utm_campaign=Linux_Update_117_Impress_2016-08-24&utm_medium=email

Bob

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68

Post by Robert Wilkinson
Hello

hii bob

Post by Robert Wilkinson
http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/Blogs/Off-the-Beat-Bruce-Byfield-s-Blog/Why-free-hardware-fails?utm_source=Linux+Update&utm_campaign=Linux_Update_117_Impress_2016-08-24&utm_medium=email
Who is this Len person?

:)

well... we have 1571 backers so far (and climbing) so i think we'll do okay.

l.

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[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
well... we have 1571 backers so far (and climbing) so i think we'll do okay.

You mean 1571 pledges? (Well, 1791 by now.) The number of backers is
probably less because probably most people have pledged for at least two
items.

By the way, have you considered watching out for government procurements
once more cards are produced? Your EOMA68 cards probably are better and
cheaper thin clients for VNC than what my university currently uses
(which are too slow to handle VNC and only do plain X11).

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[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68


On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 11:38 AM, pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
well... we have 1571 backers so far (and climbing) so i think we'll do okay.

You mean 1571 pledges? (Well, 1791 by now.) The number of backers is
probably less because probably most people have pledged for at least two
items.

1846 and climing (yay!) just looking at the numbers it's 1450 actual
unique backers. which is awesome.

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)
By the way, have you considered watching out for government procurements
once more cards are produced?

i look forward to working with government organisations because
embarrassingly it'll be one of the ways that they can guarantee that
foreign agents can't compromise them through the hardware spying
backdoors that THEY ARRANGED TO GO INTO INTEL PROCESSORS.

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)
Your EOMA68 cards probably are better and
cheaper thin clients for VNC than what my university currently uses
(which are too slow to handle VNC and only do plain X11).

yeahh i've set up xrdp successfully on linux and then used rdesktop
to connect, it handles logins and session disconnects really well.

l.

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[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
1846 and climing (yay!) just looking at the numbers it's 1450 actual
unique backers. which is awesome.

Unique orders or really unique backers, as in unique delivery addresses?
I have placed new orders when I thought of new uses for another card
(e.g. running a web/mail server from home). (Since you said you’d ship
them separately, I don’t think it matters for shipping; it’s just
surprising so many people ordered a card without case/cables/breakout
board/…)

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)
By the way, have you considered watching out for government procurements
once more cards are produced?

i look forward to working with government organisations because
embarrassingly it'll be one of the ways that they can guarantee that
foreign agents can't compromise them through the hardware spying
backdoors that THEY ARRANGED TO GO INTO INTEL PROCESSORS.

Sadly I presume only cost savings and perhaps modular computing are
convincing to typical government organizations. They are legally bound
to save costs, but most officials presumably are not used to considering
backdoors a relevant problem and not easy to convince that EOMA68 is the
right solution.

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)
Your EOMA68 cards probably are better and
cheaper thin clients for VNC than what my university currently uses
(which are too slow to handle VNC and only do plain X11).

yeahh i've set up xrdp successfully on linux and then used rdesktop
to connect, it handles logins and session disconnects really well.
l.

This is great news. Thank you!

Regards,
Florian

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[Xavi Drudis Ferran]

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
1846 and climing (yay!) just looking at the numbers it's 1450 actual
unique backers. which is awesome.

Unique orders or really unique backers, as in unique delivery addresses?
I have placed new orders when I thought of new uses for another card
(e.g. running a web/mail server from home). (Since you said you’d ship
them separately, I don’t think it matters for shipping; it’s just
surprising so many people ordered a card without case/cables/breakout
board/…)

Well, now there are 463 pledges for $5 "support EOMA-68" donations.
One backer can pledge seeral of those, but there are also
rewards for 15 or 30 or 35, so possibly not many.

For the rest, yes, it's hard o imagine pledging only for one item.
Although maybe one card alone might make sense if people already
has the cables or wants to make them tehmselves or buy them locally
or elsewhere.

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)
Sadly I presume only cost savings and perhaps modular computing are
convincing to typical government organizations. They are legally bound
to save costs, but most officials presumably are not used to considering
backdoors a relevant problem and not easy to convince that EOMA68 is the
right solution.

I don't deny this, but what it's harder to believe for me is that a
government organization buys in a crowfunding campaign. So this may
come soon, but not yet.


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[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

Post by Xavi Drudis Ferran
I don't deny this, but what it's harder to believe for me is that a
government organization buys in a crowfunding campaign. So this may
come soon, but not yet.

I wanted to mention this as an idea for the future. EU government
organizations do procurements as long-term contracts on which companies
have to bid. The government organization will not seek out a company and
ask. On the other hand, winning a bid may secure as much funding as this
crowdfunding campaign. However, I’m not familiar enough with such bids,
so I may be wrong.

Regards,
Florian

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[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68


On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 7:20 PM, pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)

Post by pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
1846 and climing (yay!) just looking at the numbers it's 1450 actual
unique backers. which is awesome.

Unique orders or really unique backers, as in unique delivery addresses?
I have placed new orders when I thought of new uses for another card
(e.g. running a web/mail server from home). (Since you said you’d ship
them separately, I don’t think it matters for shipping; it’s just
surprising so many people ordered a card without case/cables/breakout
board/…)

remember they can get them on amazon... but also people may
appreciate that they can use 2 or more. i will need to go through the
list to make sure that people realise they do need cables!

l.

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