Re: gEDA-user: Free Dog meetings at MIT starting this September!

[Karel Kulhavý <clock@twibright.com>]

> Like I said, the overwhelming majority of the customers who are 
> interested in the Kestrel NEVER built an electronic circuit before.  
> Never!  They don't even have breadboards.

It's only good. Breadboards suck. Airwire into a tin can is better IMHO ;-)

> 
> > you're really talking to people who have never picked up a soldering
> > iron before, then I fear for our profession.  Most of these people
> > will give up in frustration with fried components and lifted pads.
> 
> David, with a comment like that, I must question where you've been all 
> these years.  The homebrew kit industry all but died along with the 
> introduction of SMT -- it's not a coincidence as to why.
> 
> >    You know, the philosophy of using the right tool for the job is not
> > obsolete.
> 
> You seem to have this idea in my head that I'm ass-backwards.  Please 
> stop.  I've explained no less than three times now that these decisions 
> are based purely on a BUSINESS-level decision-making process.  Maybe not 
> as bluntly as that, but I was hoping that you might put 2 and 2 together 
> by now.  I apologize if I seem frustrated, but I am.  I hate repeating 
> myself.
> 
> If I don't design my kits around the needs of my customers, nobody will 
> buy them.  Ergo, I'm essentially out of business.  It doesn't take a 

You don't need the customers to buy the kits. It just suffices if they send you 
the money ;-)

> rocket scientist to figure this out.
> 
> >    Don't fear SMT.  SMT is good. :-)
> 
> Again, I don't fear SMT.  Those $22 superscalar MIPS processors are 
> awfully appealing to me, and as long as I build for myself exclusively, 
> the idea of using $100 FPGA chips isn't that bad to me (seeing as how 
> it'll probably replace at least that much cost in combined board space 
> and discrete components anyhow).

Is it possible to compile Linux on such a bugger?

Cl<