[Community] Note an open phone but an open laptop

[Boudewijn]

On Thursday 03 April 2014 23:13:19 Szymon Olewniczak wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 03, 2014 at 11:56:33AM +0200, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller 
wrote:
> > https://www.crowdsupply.com/kosagi/novena-open-laptop
> > 
> > What are your impressions and opinions?
> 
> It sounds really great. I've seen the project previously but I've lost
> the link so thank you for reminding me about it.
Same here :-)

> This fpga and double ethernet are nice
> features. It was also always my dream to build my computer from
> scratch. I'm happy that somebody have proven that it is possible.
That somebody are we ourselves as well! The first ideas to use the GTA04 
as a board module for a variety of mobile devices are older than the first 
booting boards, and those boards predate this project by a year or so. 
(Even longer before that I think it was much more commonplace to 
build/solder your own computer from boards of transistors... but thats not 
what you have in mind I guess ;-) )

I think it is nice to have the FPGA on board (no idea what the power usage 
is, I have the impression it's less power efficient than "static" silicon chips 
for specific purposes, but then again, you might not have chips for all 
those purposes on board... Still need to program it as well... ). I think it is 
even nicer to have a more powerful CPU on board than we have now (and 
of course I know I'm not the only one, and I also know the reasons for not 
having it...)

Bunnie's blog mentions the same problems as we face, and that they feel 
confident over low volume supplies for their components. From his writing 
and pictures I deduce he's closer to the source of many components, 
maybe that helps. Talking of small world: he's familiar with Openmoko, and I 
am sure GTA04 is/has been on his radar as well.

Best regards,

Boudewijn


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