[FM Discuss] // Open Hardware and FM //

[Julian Oliver]

hola a todos,

i have been working with Open Embedded and Angstrom Linux on an open hardware
ARM platform called the Beagle Board: 

	http://beagleboard.org/

(i'm looking to use it in a variety of projects myself, the first of which being
The Artvertiser <http://theartvertiser.com>)

without wanting to read like an ad, it is a very low-cost, very small, powerful
board suitable for multimedia and basic desktop tasks. 

it's HD video capable, has OpenGL ES, DSP chip, DVI and TV out and very low
power consumption (a fraction of what Intel's Atom offers). the OMAP chip on
board features in a great deal of devices, from next generation Linux phones
(OpenMoko), the OMAP Zoom, the TouchBook, the Open Pandora and is a target for
Android. The next release of Ubuntu promises expressed support for the (ARMv7)
platform:

	http://www.ubuntu.com/news/arm-linux

Sugar would fly on the thing.. 

throwing it out there.. would it be at all of interest for FM to have a category
for Open Hardware? Even if only as a Getting Started guide for the ARMv7 (Beagle
Board et al) to begin with? 

it would be a big section but would be great for developers wanting to get into
low-cost development of gadgets using a free software toolchain. currently the
documentation is needlessly scattered, rough and unfinished despite a massive
community of developers, live IRC channels and forums.

cheers,

-- 
Julian Oliver
home: New Zealand
based: Madrid, Spain
currently: Madrid, Spain
about: http://julianoliver.com