Re: Do one thing. Do it right.
On Friday 14 February 2020 10:29:26 David Wright wrote:
> On Fri 14 Feb 2020 at 08:55:41 (-0600), Richard Owlett wrote:
> > On 02/14/2020 07:35 AM, Gene Heskett wrote:
> > > On Friday 14 February 2020 07:50:01 Richard Owlett wrote:
> > > > Youngsters have two foibles:
> > > > More is always better.
> > > > Glitz for its own sake.
> > > > <smile ;>
> > > > For perspective:
> > > > 1. although only in mid-70's, my parents would be in their
> > > > 12th decade.
> > > > 2. my father took a M.E. degree rather than E.E. as it gave
> > > > him more of what today would be considered a minimal BSEE
> > > > degree. 3. my first computers ran on 1 MHz 6502's. 2nd even had
> > > > 8k ram.
> > >
> > > Whereas my first was a
>
> [… snipped all the stuff about TV control rooms …]
>
> > > Do one job, do it right. I needed a clock for frame code, so I
> > > wrote one, more accurate that either std frame or drop frame.
> > >
> > > > On 02/13/2020 09:17 PM, David Wright wrote in another thread:
> > > > [ https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2020/02/msg00611.html ]
> > > >
> > > > > If a device is small, it has to appeal to a mass market.
> > > >
> > > > *NO*! It's only required that engineering appeal to market.
> > > > E.G. In the last year there have been multiple amazing
> > > > prosthetics for children and small animals in the news. They
> > > > were possible due to advances in 3D printing.
> > >
> > > Agreed.
>
> Sorry, I didn't realise that when you were talking about a Personal
> Digital Assistant you meant a plastic finger.
>
> > > > > To do that, it has to be packed with features, whether
> > > > > or not these are "detrimental" to *your* intended use.
> > > >
> > > > No! The inclusion of cell modem and WiFi would drive per unit
> > > > cost of FCC approval through the roof.
> > >
> > > Agreed again. Folks have zero clue about the complexity of dealing
> > > with the regulatory agencies.
>
> Is this why virtually every electronic device nowadays has some form
> of connectivity, either phone, wifi or BT.
Only because it won't even be picked up and considered for purchase if it
has a power or connectivity cord supplied with it.
> > Been there, done it. Back in the 70's [as a SR Eng tech] I was
> > involved in the measurement of RF radiated to free space and
> > conducted to the power line for PDP11's.
I expect they never did get past the limits for commercial products. But
then the only pdp-11 I was responsible for was a multiple times a day
crasher that their field service engineers literally changed everything
in it but the frame rail that carried its serial number without
lengthening it uptime. Its crashing was costing us pretty good money
because it was crashed and didn't switch sat channels, so we air a
diaper commercial we didn't get paid for when we should have been
selling dog food. It was a CBS purchased product that came with a 180k$
7 meter C band dish we had to pay for. My mewling about its lack of
dependency finally got the computer guy at CBS to fix the serial number
vs location in DEC's records and traded me his machine. He couldn't get
it to run long enough to troubleshoot a card from another affiliate, so
it was time to globally replace it, with an industrial rated IBM whose
only job was to tell an artic card how to do it. When that system was
online and working I bought a bottle of black jack to celebrate. Offered
to send Hugh a copy but he said he didn't do anything stronger than
green tea.
And argueing with you, let me ignore a pan of corn bread in the oven my
invalid wife requested for dinner, which got a bit darker than golden
brown. Still edible I think although I won't take more than a bite to
check as I'm a DM-II and corn bread is instant sugar overload for me.
> > > > > I was surprised how much of the pinephone's functionality
> > > > > could be switched off, once I'd decoded the jargon in
> > > > > their specifications (with help). But I don't see how you
> > > > > can avoid having to compromise over the inclusion of those
> > > > > (redundant to you) functions, particularly in view of the
> > > > > extra cost of providing the flexibility to turn them off.
> > > >
> > > > If not there then *NO* need to turn off. ROFL
> > >
> > > Chuckle.
> >
> > We old fogies need to teach these youngsters.
>
> Laugh all you like, but that doesn't sell devices that still
> require wired connections to be able to use them.
>
> I think the subject line of this thread is confusing software tools
> and hardware. People are no longer happy to walk round with their
> pockets (if they have them) filled with a phone, a camera, a diary,
> a memo pad, a photo album, an MP3 player, a dictaphone, a calculator,
> a transistor radio, a street map, a paperback, a pocket chess set,
> not forgetting a newspaper tucked under their arm.
>
> Cheers,
> David.
This is also true which is why these thing are all crammed to the last
byte of their roms with functionality that as a retired old fart don't
need. I think its my business where I buy my grocery's, don't you?
Carrying that fawncy cellphone guarantees you will be tracked, including
that stop on a quiet road to water a thirsty weed. So I buy annual time
on a dumb track phone when I'm out of pocket I've done w/o that crap
for 85 years and I don't intend to give up my privacy without first
exchanging some lead. But in the event of an accident or mechanical
failure, I can call for help.
Cheers, Gene Heskett
--
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
- Louis D. Brandeis
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
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