Sounds interesting. But when you get down to ground reality it is still not possible to make hardware gpl complaint. Simply, because of the fact that Hardware is tangible and it costs. We can make the architecture open source but the hardware itself can't be made for free.
You can make the software that runs a calculator free but you cannot make a CRT monitor that can be give for free. And hardware cannot be shared and kept concurrently simply because you can't make copies of it for free. Smruti On Dec 13, 2007 10:12 PM, Linux Lingam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > dear all, > > this story picked off slashdot excites me: > > Intel targets WiMAX with software radio device > > http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2007/12/11/42781/intel+targets+wimax+with+software+radio+device.htm > > why? > > a) gpl or copyleft does not normally work on hardware. (tangible > versus intangible economy...) > > b) s tanenbaum asserts anything that exists in hardware can exist as > software. > > c) ergo: when wimax, dvb-h, etc become more software-driven than > hardware driven, then gpl or copyleft may come to play a role in it's > license. > > when i look at the cheap electronic calculators being sold on the > streets of nehruplace for rs 50 to rs 100, i still get to buy one > tangible, hardware, calculator that i own and can only give away if i > wish, but not share AND keep concurrently. > > when i click on the 'applications' menu under ubuntu or any other > distro, then goto 'accessories'>'calculator' i get a similar device as > software, muft and mukt, and can give it away to everyone and still > keep it concurrently, thanks to its gpl license. > > hardware devices that become software applications affect a gestalt > change, especially if copylefted. > > :-) > niyam > > > -- > niyam bhushan > > _______________________________________________ > ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org > http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd > Next Event: http://freed.in - February 22/23, 2008 > Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi > http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/ > -- "We expect our heroes to be flawed. Heroes without flaws would not be successful. Yet in the end, it's not the flaws we need to remember but the achievements." ~iCon _______________________________________________ ilugd mailinglist -- ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Next Event: http://freed.in - February 22/23, 2008 Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd@lists.linux-delhi.org/
