What Linux users should know about open hardware

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in hardware on (#2SZ5)
Over at Datamation, Bruce Byfield opines, "What Linux users don't know about manufacturing open hardware can lead them to disappointment." Interesting stuff.
Both the manufacturing and distribution of digital products is controlled by a relatively small number of companies, whose time can sometimes be booked months in advance. Profit margins can be tight, so like movie studios that buy the rights to an ancient sit-com, the manufacturers usually hope to clone the success of the latest hot product. As Aaron Seigo told me when talking about his efforts to develop the Vivaldi tablet, the manufacturers would much rather prefer someone else take the risk of doing anything new. Not only that, but they would prefer to deal with someone with an existing sales record who is likely to bring repeat business. Besides, the average newcomer is looking at a product run of a few thousand units. A chip manufacturer would much rather deal with Apple or Samsung, whose order is more likely in the hundreds of thousands.
Off hand, it sounds a bit like the same problem independent authors have with big publishing houses: no one wants to buy or publish anything other than a guaranteed best-seller by a proven author, making it hard for the independent guys to get noticed. The article has some interesting insights into what Aaron Seigo and the Vivaldi (Linux-based open tablet) experienced before they abandoned hope for the project.
Reply 8 comments

Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-09-27 09:15 (#2SZ9)

I don't think it's going to help potential customers to know "what's happening behind the news." They're not in it for the joy of experiencing the journey with you... They would simply like to buy the product you promised them. In other industries, an 18-month delay isn't a complete deal-breaker. But in computer hardware, that puts your product a complete generation behind what you promised. It is not remotely the same product it was, 2-year earlier. It has a short shelf-life. You promised grapes and instead delivered raisins...

It's a good cautionary tale to would-be small hardware designers... Getting it to market is a far harder task than you'd imagine. But the key is simple, either get in bed with a big company to push things along, or start with something very small and simple. At the very least, don't start out by making speculative promises, when so many parts of the process are beyond your control.

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-09-27 20:02 (#2SZF)

You're absolutely right. But it does go a long way in setting expectations for FOSS evangelists rallying for a totally free hardware platform that they can run TrisquelGNU/Linux on and satisfy their philosophical requirements. You're not going to get that kind of hardware easily unless you can whip up demand for a healthy volume of the product, or you're willing to pay some seriously higher margins. That's instructive.

I buy my Linux laptops from either ZAReason or System76 these days. I'm not really saving any money, but it gives me the confidence that the hardware will work perfectly with Linux, and often that's what I'm looking for the most. As I mentioned on the Bodhi article, I'd love a Linux tablet. But I'm not holding my breath, and this article makes it clear why.

Ironically, you get the best 'open' hardware out of China these days. What's that Longsoon machine Richard M. Stallman uses? And isn't it a MIPS chip on the inside? That's a pretty interesting set of circumstances.

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by hairyfeet@pipedot.org on 2014-09-30 09:24 (#2T0X)

Uhhhh...why not just vote with your wallets and affect REAL change? AMD is opening the hardware as fast as humanly possible, supports the coreboot project, even put some extra men on the FOSS APU drivers to get them up to snuff...so why not support the company that is trying to support you by buying AMD and influencing others to do so as well? The bang for the buck is still firmly in the AMD camp and you can get some crazy powerful hardware for peanuts and if enough FOSS supporters vote with their wallets and AMD sees their sales go up because of this? Other companies WILL notice this and be more likely to support you as well.

So instead of trying to make something that if you are REALLY lucky might reach 4 digits in sales why not affect some REAL change and support a company that is really trying to help you whose gear anybody can buy?

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: -1, Offtopic)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-30 12:45 (#2T0Z)

affect --> effect

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-10-01 20:41 (#2T1R)

Happy to do so - know anyone who sells AMD Linux boxes? Seems like ZAReason and System76 both sell mostly Intel stuff. (System76 is selling some seriously old-fashioned looking laptops these days, sorry to say. Love it that they run Linux, but you're not going to win any style points sitting behind one. Maybe cover it up with your neckbeard while you sip your tea.)

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-10-02 00:32 (#2T1T)

AMD is opening the hardware as fast as humanly possible, supports the coreboot project, even put some extra men on the FOSS APU drivers to get them up to snuff...
AMD is only very slowly playing catch-up on opening their previously closed GPU documentation and getting drivers out there. Meanwhile, Intel's GPUs all have supported and fully-functional GPL'd drivers... Sounds like buying Intel is supporting "REAL change", rather than vague promises and half-assed support.

Re: Watching the sausage getting made, doesn't really help (Score: 1)

by hairyfeet@pipedot.org on 2014-12-09 03:42 (#2VRB)

Uhhhh...you DO know that the reason they are having to go slower than they like is because of INTEL, yes? That HDCP is Intel's property and if they release anything that could put Intel's DRM at risk they'll get sued, you DO know this right? Intel doesn't have the same restriction because they built their CPUs around HDCP DRM and thus have a section of the chip dedicated to HDCP, AMD doesn't waste space on DRM and instead uses the GP-GPU to handle HDCP which is why they have to tread lightly. if you don't like how fast they are doing things? Tell Intel to take the cuffs off with HDCP.