31–40 of 71 posts
The situation for hobbyists getting SoCs is terrible - I've got a MiiPC at home that won't be getting much use because Marvell won't release any documentation on it without an NDA
Woh-hold on now, I have a Pandora (though it got delivered too late for me to really use it) Getting parts has always been a rough time! Parallela board, the Pandora, the iControlPad2 from kick starter failed because of parts not being sourced on time.
To be fair the Pandora still exists and is still produced (while you are right that it suffered huge delays in the first place linked to supply but also to manufacturing). As for the ICP2, I believe it was not just a supply issue but a lack a coordination (the design was still being discussed several months after funding).
(Disclaimer: I'm an OP fan, a first-batch'er, and avid supporter of everything that EvilDragon and his motley crew are getting up to..)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for the feedback! I believe ED (the one who shared his experiences from the article) did contact Qualcomm but had difficulty securing small quantities as well from them. He probably forgot to mention it this time. However, if you think that it would still be possible and if you have commercial contacts within Qualcomm, I'd be happy to put you in touch with him.
Yes, would be happy to talk with your colleague and point him to the right contacts. I am at the San Diego headquarters.
You know, if you feel the need to link to a post that is highly specific to a narrow field of technology, which uses a lot of unexplained terms, it would be polite to actually leave a comment to explain what the post is about.
Some use of a search engine is a good thing - it means I'm learning something new.
I'd be happy to provide a glossary, but I risk being fantastically patronising. What in particular was difficult with this post? I ask because I meed to improve the clarity of my communication. Perhaps it was the alphabet soup of different manufacturers and users and devices? Or perhaps it was the lack of a very short introductory paragraph? Or the lack of expansion ofter first use of an initialism?
This is, I believe, the only thing that has kept Intel in the game. Had someone had some foresight to go "all in" with the open source bit they could retake the old IBM PC spot (I'm talking about the one the PC in 1981 took away from CP/M machines, not the current spot). People who build appliances won't care but people who build computers will.
This is, I believe, the only thing that has kept Intel in the game. Had someone had some foresight to go "all in" with the open source bit they could retake the old IBM PC spot (I'm talking about the one the PC in 1981 took away from CP/M machines, not the current spot). People who build appliances won't care but people who build computers will.
I get what you mean but selling 1000 units is hardly a game changer :p
That's why most chips are priced out of reach of small companies. Even if they have something revolutionary they may never get the chance to get started without a huge risk.
You know, if you feel the need to link to a post that is highly specific to a narrow field of technology, which uses a lot of unexplained terms, it would be polite to actually leave a comment to explain what the post is about.
HN has always been for technical news. There is always some domain specific knowledge required in technical topics. Judging by the comments here though, it's obvious that the domain specific knowledge this article assumes (which isn't particularly great - not much more than a rudimental understanding of the components that make up a computer) overlaps with quite a number of HN readers.
If you read an article that you don't understand, use it as a learning opportunity. The resources are at your fingertips!
I've heard from a friend that for Asian companies like MediaTek, "going through the front door" is the wrong way to approach them, unless you are a very large and well-established company. http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=3040
So what is the recommended approach ? (sorry if the link you shared answers the question, i have not checked it yet)
More seriously, you get to know people who can get you the information/components you need --- often on various Chinese forums. The "guanxi" mentality ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi ) is very strong in Asia; to get to the company directly takes a lot of incremental "relationship-building".
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So what is the recommended approach ? (sorry if the link you shared answers the question, i have not checked it yet)
The link, and indeed the whole blog, is worth reading. However, it doesn't directly answer the question. Bunnie suggests dealing with Chinese brokers who can source availability of 'cut tape', remnants from large production runs of the chip. It doesn't address consistency and reliable supply issues over a longer period of time but does allow for procurement of relatively small quantities of parts. Bunnie also suggest…
This is, I believe, the only thing that has kept Intel in the game. Had someone had some foresight to go "all in" with the open source bit they could retake the old IBM PC spot (I'm talking about the one the PC in 1981 took away from CP/M machines, not the current spot). People who build appliances won't care but people who build computers will.