12-13-2022, 03:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-18-2023, 05:55 AM by vincele.
Edit Reason: add sound vs speakers
)
realisticconsumer:
The original pbp is perfect already
That's your take on it. While I'm quite with you for the other part (mainly that it should keep its low price), I beg to differ on the "perfect" part.
My gripes are shared with others in this thread:
- Add a door (secured with screws) at the underside. And be careful to make all useful things accessible through it.
Opening the pbp is a *royal pita* and also it is really fragile.
- Ease the unbrick process
The term "unbrick" should be taken with a grain of salt (in the wound that is:
opening the laptop shoud never be needed, except maybe for HW problems,
like repairing something or changing the battery).
Always try to boot from SD first, we really don't care the milliseconds delay that will cost us.
Or make an externally & easily accessible HW switch to chose the boot device. (through the door).
You always should be able to boot from external storage.
Having SPI is fantastic, if and only if you can easily get out of problems.
Ultra easy to unbrick, will attract firmware developpers, or at least ease the adoption by aspiring ones.
Do not rely on proprietary solutions (rkdeveloptools) for unbricking, even if they are nice to also have.
- kbd & touchpad firmware completely FOSS.
Really nothing else to add here. There will be bugs / things to fix.
I also like the idea of separating the power button from the kbd (and its firmware), and then put back the "suppr" key.
- Be sure to choose components with a lot of rewrite cycles for storing firmwares.
SPI, kbd, touchpad, etc.
- The shared serial console / headphone connector, why ?
Put a USB-serial chip on the board, and add a dedicated external USB port for it (like on the qp64).
Anyone who have problems will have the right cable available to get help. I.e.: less angry people on the forums.
- The emmc (if there is one) should always be socketed, and externally accessible (through the door).
- I like the idea of internal usb port(s) to plug things like a wifi dongle. I'd make that at least 2. And you can then avoid having an integrated wifi/BT chip on the board. (make those USB ports accessible through the door).
- If there is a reset button / switch it should be accessible. (through the door or even better above the keyboard).
- While the keyboard combo killswitches for camera, wifi, BT are nice to have. A pack of 3 HW jumpers on the mainboard would be sufficient and will cater for a lot of people's demand for such. (through the door).
- The nvme situation with the optional adapter cable needs to be handled more sanely. Add a real M.2 socket or don't do it at all.
If you add a socket (I think you should), make it available through the door.
- Power handling should be straightened, I'm not advocating for any plug type, I think EU authorities have chosen.
But make the power handling bulletproof.
Drained battery should not matter at all.
The laptop shoud run properly without a battery installed (without having to do anything, like plugging an almost inaccessible internal cable).
EDIT: - I'd rather have good sound jack (separate from serial console), than integrated speakers.
I personally would be willing to pay a bit more to have those points fixed properly. Don't get obsessed with the 200€/$ target we can understand that better is pricier, up to a reasonable point.
Thanks a lot
The original pbp is perfect already
That's your take on it. While I'm quite with you for the other part (mainly that it should keep its low price), I beg to differ on the "perfect" part.
My gripes are shared with others in this thread:
- Add a door (secured with screws) at the underside. And be careful to make all useful things accessible through it.
Opening the pbp is a *royal pita* and also it is really fragile.
- Ease the unbrick process
The term "unbrick" should be taken with a grain of salt (in the wound that is:
opening the laptop shoud never be needed, except maybe for HW problems,
like repairing something or changing the battery).
Always try to boot from SD first, we really don't care the milliseconds delay that will cost us.
Or make an externally & easily accessible HW switch to chose the boot device. (through the door).
You always should be able to boot from external storage.
Having SPI is fantastic, if and only if you can easily get out of problems.
Ultra easy to unbrick, will attract firmware developpers, or at least ease the adoption by aspiring ones.
Do not rely on proprietary solutions (rkdeveloptools) for unbricking, even if they are nice to also have.
- kbd & touchpad firmware completely FOSS.
Really nothing else to add here. There will be bugs / things to fix.
I also like the idea of separating the power button from the kbd (and its firmware), and then put back the "suppr" key.
- Be sure to choose components with a lot of rewrite cycles for storing firmwares.
SPI, kbd, touchpad, etc.
- The shared serial console / headphone connector, why ?
Put a USB-serial chip on the board, and add a dedicated external USB port for it (like on the qp64).
Anyone who have problems will have the right cable available to get help. I.e.: less angry people on the forums.
- The emmc (if there is one) should always be socketed, and externally accessible (through the door).
- I like the idea of internal usb port(s) to plug things like a wifi dongle. I'd make that at least 2. And you can then avoid having an integrated wifi/BT chip on the board. (make those USB ports accessible through the door).
- If there is a reset button / switch it should be accessible. (through the door or even better above the keyboard).
- While the keyboard combo killswitches for camera, wifi, BT are nice to have. A pack of 3 HW jumpers on the mainboard would be sufficient and will cater for a lot of people's demand for such. (through the door).
- The nvme situation with the optional adapter cable needs to be handled more sanely. Add a real M.2 socket or don't do it at all.
If you add a socket (I think you should), make it available through the door.
- Power handling should be straightened, I'm not advocating for any plug type, I think EU authorities have chosen.
But make the power handling bulletproof.
Drained battery should not matter at all.
The laptop shoud run properly without a battery installed (without having to do anything, like plugging an almost inaccessible internal cable).
EDIT: - I'd rather have good sound jack (separate from serial console), than integrated speakers.
I personally would be willing to pay a bit more to have those points fixed properly. Don't get obsessed with the 200€/$ target we can understand that better is pricier, up to a reasonable point.
Thanks a lot
