Previously, Chris Worley typed into the ether: > Is their an X upcoming that will fit on small boxes? Is reverse-bloat > in X's future? (I realize that feature-bloat is not only X, but WM's > atop X.) Without getting over my head with technical specifics or walking on anyone's NDA's, I can add that just in the Atlanta area I know of two Linux based set-top TIVO + Services type boxes that are being devloped (with both nearing completion). The friends that are working on these projects note that the open source aspects Linux mean that all the software components can be scalable; these boxes are running in very lean memory and processor environments. > Or, are you saying that hardware prices will be cheaper in the future? Guaranteed. P4 pricing just dropped %55. Yesterday I saw a close out deal on a system comparable to the $1k workstation I built myself 18 months ago for $289. I just bought 256 meg of PC133 ram for $40 and a CDR/RW for $80. Beyond the predictable exponential price/performance curve of computer technologies, I think the US economic recession will also be steepening the downward price curve for quite a while. > Realize that my $200/box figure was high; asia requires the price > down below $100. One eventually runs into a bottom line, minimal starting price for any product with a power supply, support and packaging. In the not too distant future, though, it could be getting to a point where the difference between the $150 system and the $175 system is 1 ghz more processor speed, 10 gig more memory and 100 gig more mass storage. > AT&T cable recently severed their relationship with > Microsoft (despite MS's $5B to consummate the deal) because Wince > requires a settop box costing $500 (because Wince for TV requires > DirectX support). While that's real good news, the cost of the hardware is not the only consideration in all situations. At a retail under $300, Sony's delivers it's Playstation game systems at a slight loss. One can expect the newest Nintendo's game box that is releasing this fall will be a zero profit hardware sale as well. The lame but soon to be released anyway M$ Xbox will put Black Billy $200 in the red for every unit sold at the $300 retail price. The point for all these companies is that, while they lose money on the hardware end, they can more than make up the loss in their proprietary game distributions, software licensing and development support. (: Which means, BTW, that we should find a way to buy as many XcrementBoxes as we can and, then salvage the recyclable parts for a profit or hack them for resale as Linux entertainment systems. :) > Linux shines because we can tailor it to our customer's needs. ...and it would apear that X can be tailored as well... or replaced if needs be. peace (after justice) aaron
