[COLUG] Comparing Various Embedded Linux Apps

[Josh]

Bill Yang wrote:

> If this isn't for a hobby project (ie: business use), there are all 
> kinds of embedded board manufacturers that won't force you to take on 
> the IP legal liability for using their products that you'd have to look 
> at from using a commercial product and disassembling/reverse 
> engineering/rebuilding...

It depends on the use and intended quantity.  You're spot-on about the IP 
risks, though if you're re-purposing the hardware from the Chumby you 
probably wouldn't use the commercial software they include; the only 
exposure you'd have is patent exposure, which is a wildcard.  (On the flip 
side, it appears that Chumby is little more than a typical embedded 
motherboard, so I'm not sure what patents it would violate that other 
embedded boards don't.

On the SW License side, Chumby provides a complete GPL kernel+toolchain, 
so you can have as little or as much as you want.  Someone has already 
ported Embedded Qt, so the environment is there to write C apps...

Having said that - if you need to manufacture, say, 5 units for a 
customer, and the hardware is a good fit, it's hard not to look at 
repurposing a Chumby.  From Digi-Key, the LCD alone is $20 *more* than the 
Chumby with the LCD plus the motherboard plus all of those other bits.

Someone mentioned a small motherboard on a previous posting that included 
2x Ethernet, USB, etc.  That's a great deal at ~$89 (again from DigiKey), 
but when you add the display (either LCD, or CLUT chip + Monitor) and 
input device (keyboard, custom-made panel, etc) that's at least another 
$200.  I'm not sure what quantity you'd need to get down to the $180 price 
point from $300 or so.

Granted, if your customer wants anything bigger than 320x240 then this 
discussion is moot.  :)

Cheers,
-J