On Tue, 13 Dec 2011, Allan Fields wrote:
> I agree with Robert.
>
> I might add: I think the point is that you should not _have to_ wip
> out a soldering iron, in this day and age. Aside from the classical
> appeal of soldering and prototyping your own..
>
> You should be able to find someone in the community to do at least
> part of the hardware engineering for you, or any type of specific
> service. There are lots of computer engineers (h/w geeks) waiting
> to do such, with-out wasting the time of those who frankly might
> want to remain doing software / system-level work rather than
> futzing with a soldering iron and magnifier. Robert might be able
> to go the west-end and find someone in less than a day.
>
> This is the era of modular design: Plug-able modules in a computer
> system management paradigm is the norm now. If it's not the
> designers goal to tweak hardware; then they can simply hire-out.
> Everyone in Ottawa seems hell-bent on getting their hardware on.
> That's not the way to run a multi-sectoral high-tech empire.
>
> I should be able to find a dude to prototype an interface between
> two modules, in short-order, as there are plenty who have already
> toiled and learned the hard way themselves, now they are pre-forked
> for duty and quite able.
>
> Why make yet another embedded company out of some-one who might have
> made good time on existing modular board/designs. They'll likely
> end-up spending more time with the h/w interfacing then, and loose
> track of the original point, as they end-up in tweaker heaven.
two observations. first, exactly what allan said, and on that note,
it occurs to me that this is one of the *drawbacks* of community.
it's terrific that a number of people were happy to advise me on how
easy it is to learn how to do this myself. all i need, apparently, is
a really good soldering iron, time, a bunch of practise boards and so
on. which is fine, but at the moment, i've got a number of clients
interested in linux training, so taking time off to learn how to
solder is definitely not cost-effective for me. hence, my looking
around for someone to do it for me.
and i'm not asking anyone to do it for free (sorry if i gave that
impression). it's worth it for me to *pay* someone else to do it as i
have more than enough stuff that will generate billable hours for me
that i don't want to invest time with a soldering iron. and perhaps,
that's one of the drawbacks of community -- sometimes, people are so
eager to teach you how to do something that the fact that i'm willing
to *pay* someone to do it goes unrecognized.
it may be that this mailing list is not the right place for
something like that, i don't know. but i have on occasion posted,
looking for assistance, and offering to pay someone for it. instead,
numerous people jump in, offering to *explain* to me how to do it. it
seems that very few people here are willing to see an actual business
opportunity when i offer it up.
in addition, it may be that this it not a one-off job. even as
shipped, the pandaboard is more than adequate for teaching embedded
linux. but with those extra connectors, that opens up a *world* of
additional possible courses involving video. i've negotiated a bulk
rate for buying pandaboards from the manufacturer, and i'm looking at
bundling a board with each student kit, so i could be buying *dozens*
of these things and might want each one extended as i described.
i don't want to do it myself. and if there's someone out there who
is good at this sort of thing (makes a living at it?), then we should
talk. this is a business opportunity for someone who's looking for
one.
rday
--
========================================================================
Robert P. J. Day Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
http://crashcourse.ca
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rpjday
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday
========================================================================
_______________________________________________
Linux mailing list
Linux@lists.oclug.on.ca
http://oclug.on.ca/mailman/listinfo/linux
