Chris Worley wrote: > 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.) > > Or, are you saying that hardware prices will be cheaper in the future? > Realize that my $200/box figure was high; asia requires the price > down below $100. 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). I've actually seen Microsoft demonstrating their > settop box software on 1GHz Athlons! > > Linux shines because we can tailor it to our customer's needs. Saying > "X is the solution" is the same as Microsoft's stance requiring the > whole elephant when all you need is the tail. Once we start competing > with Microsoft on their terms and turf, we loose (Software Competition > 101). Well, it goes deeper than that. Much of what X allows should not be allowed on a set top box. First and foremost, the desktop paridigm is right out. There simply isn't the realestate. Maybe on HDTV there's the realestate, but you have to realize that if consumers wanted something with all the features of a computer, they'd use a computer. They want an appliance. Something hopefully less intimidating than their microwave oven. You, me, we're geeks. We want X on a telephone ;-) Icons are a bad idea on a setop. So are menu bars. So are "start" bars and wharfs and docks. Get rid of it. Look at a TiVo for a good example. But, it goes further than that. the entire concept of a "window" is a bad idea on a set top. Even if it fills the whole screen. I actually saw one settop demonstration where it was possible to accidentally grab the edge of the window slightly off-screen and resize or move it, which revealed window manager controlls, which allowed the user to close the settop application, leaving the box in need of a reboot. You could probably write a window manager for X that would behave the way a settop ought, but it would be an exercise in restricting the functionality of the windowing system instead of one in utilizing the functionality of the windowing system. It's just not the right tool for the job. You could do it, and it would maybe even be faster than using something else, but in the end, you're using your gerber multitool as a hammer. - Eric
