On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 11:00:08AM -0500, Robert P. J. Day wrote: > 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. Then post to linux-consult and be more explicit about wanting to pay someone for it. I'd say you were barking up the wrong tree, or not being adequately explicit in what you seek. > 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 [ at ] lists [ dot ] oclug [ dot ] on [ dot ] ca > http://oclug.on.ca/mailman/listinfo/linux slainte mhath, RGB -- Richard Guy Briggs -- ~\ -- ~\ <hpv.tricolour.net> <www.TriColour.net> -- \___ o \@ @ Ride yer bike! Ottawa, ON, CANADA -- Lo_>__M__\\/\%__\\/\% Vote! -- <greenparty.ca>_____GTVS6#790__(*)__(*)________(*)(*)_________________