<arossdotme>
would a distraction of chatting help?
<arossdotme>
if so what do you think of the project (rhombus-tech)?
<haroonk_>
I think they got some part thats not open source
<haroonk_>
they got a blob or something
<haroonk_>
right?
<haroonk_>
maybe it was the cpu lol
<arossdotme>
no, 100% free software
<arossdotme>
but
<arossdotme>
if your talking about the a20 cpu card then that needs reverse engined gpu for 3d if you want 3d
<arossdotme>
but for example theres over cpu cards in the works with no gpu but and still play hd video
<arossdotme>
like some mips ones and/or some new attractive arch
<arossdotme>
and they would be able to get fsf endorsement
<arossdotme>
but the soc and there for the arch are seporate from the device. so you pick how powerfull/which soc/which arch you want in your $device (tab,lap,games console, box, etc etc etc)
<arossdotme>
hmm so what are your other thoughts about rhombus-tech?
<haroonk>
arossdotme, is the bunny guy involved?
<arossdotme>
no
<haroonk>
arossdotme, so the entire hardware is open? eg. no backdoor in cpu or blob?
<arossdotme>
well the computer/cpu card form factor is. the cpu cards dont have to be copyleft hardware, depends on who designs that particular cpu card. all software is free software related to the eoma-68 form factor (and future form factors) as defined by the fsf though.
<haroonk>
it comes with a open source CPU? thats dope!
<haroonk>
whats the name of it and how the heck was that pulled off? did some millionaire fund it?
<arossdotme>
yea but as for the SOC that all depends on the soc
<arossdotme>
so same old problemys allply
<arossdotme>
apply
<haroonk>
it uses 1 board , soc/microcontroller?
<arossdotme>
however things are more hopefull
<haroonk>
the ram/cpu are on one chiup?
<arossdotme>
the soc, ram, etc the main brains that make a computer work are in a card that pops in and out of the device
<arossdotme>
so you can swap cards and so change the soc and change the arch of your device just by swaping the card
<haroonk>
this is neato!
<haroonk>
do you think openbsd can run on it
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<haroonk>
arossdotme, do you drink tea
<haroonk>
Beaches, waddap
<arossdotme>
so currently we have the a20 card which is a lessor of the evil and good specs too but we can also have in the future a icubecorp soc card and we can have other cards that are able to get the endorsement of the fsf as they dont have the yucky gpu
<arossdotme>
haroonk, as for tea, i dont really drink much
<edwin>
it'll be interesting to see if they can keep that form factor compatible as new ARM CPUs come out
<edwin>
on the PC there was not much success with compatibility between sockets, even from same vendor, by the time I upgraded my CPU I pretty much had to upgrade the whole motherboard too
<arossdotme>
the socs dont matter cus the card only has usb, data line thing, lcd, ethernet, pwr. so soc IC sockets dont matter
<haroonk>
arossdotme, I wish yall the best, meant to say this earlier
<edwin>
hmm but power consumption might
<edwin>
for handheld mobile devices the 10W limit is probably not a problem
<edwin>
if I want to use the same card for a laptop that I use for a tablet it might run into power issues
<edwin>
although maybe there could be 2 form factors
<edwin>
one low power for handheld devices
<edwin>
and one high power for laptops/desktops
<arossdotme>
haroonk, im not behind it, im just a keen person that wants it to seceed and make by next laptop and first tablet a eoma-68 one :D
<arossdotme>
edwin, for eoma-68 there is a pwr limit so no problem
<arossdotme>
for higher pwr comsuption soc a different form factor is needed, just for the heat
<arossdotme>
haroonk, yea, i dont see why you cant have openbsd, you would need to get it running on it though, getting one os working is enough work :)
<edwin>
in some sense its similar to neo900: take an existing laptop for the case/keyboard/screen and replace the board and CPU inside it
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<concerned>
say, if I buy a neo900 complete device
<concerned>
and I get a modem for the US
<concerned>
but I later move to the EU and want to change it to EU
<concerned>
can I send it back to have the modem changed
<concerned>
I'm fine with paying a little extra to do that
<edwin>
are you choosing the LTE variant for the US modem?
<ZetaR>
concerned: Not really, because everything is soldered to the board simultaneously in an oven, and the components are not designed to do this multiple times. However, the US module would work in the EU with the non-LTE bands, as I recall.
<edwin>
I think the LTE modem only shares GSM frequencies between EU and US variants. if you don't need the LTE modem and get just the UMTS one, that seems to be compatible with both the EU and US http://neo900.org/faq#networks
<concerned>
ahh I see
<concerned>
I wanted LTE for US, for max speed, yes
<concerned>
I wasn't familiar with how the component was actually connected in the device
<ZetaR>
edwin: DocScrutinizer05 has mentioned previously that US carriers seem to like deprecating reverse-compatibility, and that the older networks may at some point disappear in the US in favor of LTE.
<concerned>
more reason to live in europe, for me
<concerned>
so I guess I'll be getting EU LTE in that case
<concerned>
thanks for infos
<ZetaR>
concerned: I would look at it more in depth. Also, your decision can be changed later, so long as the parts haven't been ordered yet.
<edwin>
please double check the bands/frequencies that your US and EU operators use/will use.
<ZetaR>
Personally I went with the US LTE, since I live in the US. From what I understand, that is the safest in terms of ensuring long-term support in the US. It also has some international compatibility.
<edwin>
if the US goes LTE-only then I wonder if they'll manufacture modems compatible with both EU and US or if we'll start seeing dual-modem phones, like there are dual SIM phones :) I don't think that people traveling on business between EU and US would appreciate having to switch phones all the time depending on the continent :)
<ZetaR>
edwin: I think business people already do this (carry multiple phones).
<ZetaR>
concerned: Be sure to take a look at that forum thread linked too. It discusses the problem.
<arossdotme>
edwin, didnt know about http://wiki.vero-apparatus.com/ . however there making yet another throw away a hole laptop to get a faster one. its takes so much effort to make one laptop you really need to be able to reuse it, yea you can do what neo900 pepole have done and stick to one soc and only upgrade to pin compatible revisions of that soc which is fine but really for a laptop its too limiting. i dont see a 2rd or a 3rd run of a lapt
<arossdotme>
op designed in the old main stream way succeeding.
<arossdotme>
hes made huge progress with it and im really looking forward to have one when the crowd fund is done :D
<arossdotme>
the a20 arm soc cpu card is really made and working
<edwin>
yeah there's definetely more info on eoma-68 than vero-apparatus
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<arossdotme>
btw subscribe to the mailing list for update and info
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<haroonk>
arossdotme, what do you think of project ara
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<arossdotme>
haroonk, good but i greatly fear that it will be non-free blob filled and even maybe drm encumbered as the engines involved are problem solvers and not those with a free software cause. based on a video i watched of one of the engineers. so if there boss says add drm they will set to work see about doing it. or if $com says the firmware and/or driver will not be free they will say ok sir will do. so you end up with software obsolescen
<arossdotme>
ce like you have with current smart phones
<arossdotme>
engines = engineers
<arossdotme>
as software freedom is not a goal they list, i expect them to go down a mainstream non-free route
<arossdotme>
which is my im putting (and have) my money into rhombus-tech/eoma-*
<arossdotme>
correction its not the main reason, just a reason why i think rhombus-tech are more promising
<arossdotme>
I’d say theres a better chance of rhombus-tech delivering product(s) than project ara.
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<paulk-collins>
DocScrutinizer05, hey there! Still no news regarding lightning talks?
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<haroonk>
arossdotme, whoa
<arossdotme>
haroonk, hehe not optimistic am i ;)
<haroonk>
im not either
<haroonk>
I think everything is backdoored and already has planned obs built in since the playstation 1 days
<arossdotme>
we’ve been getting OT i guess... well theres #arm-netbook for some where not ot to chat about RT/eoma
<arossdotme>
im looking at project ara website.. theres been changes from when i look a long while ago...