[Tfug] Small-ish (capacity + size) disk alternatives

[Tyler Kilian]

Okay well good luck in your endeavors.

On Feb 1, 2013, at 2:28 PM, Bexley Hall <bexley401 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi John,
> 
> On 2/1/2013 1:37 PM, John Hubbard wrote:
>> On Friday, February 1, 2013 12:31 PM Bexley Hall wrote
>> 
>> [snip]
>>> 
>>> I.e., I have no desire to write drivers and design hardware interfaces
>>> for every model of weather station, garage door opener, PZT camera
>>> base, etc. on the market!  I'll design for what *I* have and let
>>> others peer over my shoulder to see *how* I approached the task in
>>> the hope that they can "tinker" with my *existing* design instead of
>>> having to start from scratch.
>>> 
>>> [Over the years, I have noticed that very few folks can sit with
>>> a blank piece of paper and "create" -- most need a framework that
>>> someone else has already implemented... that they can "modify"]
>>> 
>>> [snip]
>>> 
>>> Users are already familiar with external USB drives.  And, as
>>> long as I avoid proprietary filesystem formats, they can
>>> "maintain" that media inventory using COTS tools -- a Mac,
>>> a PC, etc. (so I don't have to create tools to do this work)
>>> 
>>> If such a drive *fails*, the user can go to Costco and purchase
>>> a replacement.  If they lose their media inventory,<shrug>
>>> Next time, buy *two* drives and make a copy (using your PC)
>>> onto the backup drive.
>>> 
>>> [Why not have a "copy media" utility built into the system?
>>> Because then you'll go to Costco with a defective drive and
>>> try to explain to them how your Frajistat9000 gave you an
>>> "error 27:  replace drive" message.  And they will look at
>>> you with a blank stare:  "Is that a Mac or a PC?"]
>> 
>> Let me get this straight: your system is a framework for tinkerers
>> who are going to write their own *nix weather station driver, but
>> aren't smart enough to understand what a defective drive is?  This
> 
> No.  I am *allowing* people who have that level of expertise to
> tailor a system to their needs -- instead of relying on some
> commercial entity to develop an interface to *their* particular
> set of "devices" (and hoping they will continue to support it
> regardless of how few instances were "sold").
> 
> [Ask yourselves how many of you *benefit* from free software.
> I.e., USE it.  Then, ask yourself (honestly) what you have done
> to contribute back to that effort.  Hey, if you don't have the
> skills to contribute patches, why not send a cash donation?
> Or, purchase some equipment for a developer to work with?  Or,
> do some rigorous testing (carefully documenting your findings)?]
> 
>> is a bit of an exageration but it sounds like you are kind of
>> targeting the small subset of the population that is both mentally
>> retarded and a member of MENSA.  That might end up being a very
>> small target market...
> 
> Have you never "assembled" a computer system for a spouse?
> Child?  Friend down the street?  I.e., because *they* were not
> capable of doing so?
> 
> [I guess they must be the "retards" in your analogy and you the
> MENSA geek?]
> 
> Were you *glad* that the design of the system was "open" enough
> that you could tailor it to their needs (the size case that they
> would accept, a power supply of sufficient capacity for the case's
> contents?  A disk large enough to store what they were LIKELY to
> store?  Applications that fit their needs?  Program options
> configured the way *they* would want them??)?
> 
> *You* can do these things because the systems are "open" to
> the extent that you can make these changes (you don't see many
> folks building their own iPhones!)
> 
> Or, would you have rathered they wait until some commercial entity
> offered the system that was "perfect" for their needs?  And, point
> them at the local "Geek Squad" whenever they have a problem with
> that system?
> 
> [Does your spouse, mother/father do their own support?]
> 
> I can't design "state of the art" power supplies.  When I need one
> in a design, I rely on a friend or colleague to bail me out.  They,
> OTOH, might not be able to design a key piece of high speed logic
> for one of *their* designs.  Or, an operating system.  Should
> we each proceed as if the benefits of the other's skillsets were
> not available for our use?  CLOSED off from us?
> 
> If that were the case, we'd all be running Windows or OSX...
> 
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