From: Humphreys, David (URB) (david.humphreys_at_honeywell.com)
Date: Fri Oct 24 2003 - 06:36:56 PDT
Simon muller wrote:
> Now that there's 2 people who announce Emate uprades, suddenly there
> are these questions on who has more rights to make them and sell them
> to others.
>
> Pcbman claims his is original, Ferdi claims he copied a known working
> board.( to convince people that it is working properly?) Some
> blame him
> for copying.
Well, I think it has more to do with his ethics and business practices than the fact that he is able to copy a circuit.
Anyone can copy an existing design. Even if you can't do it yourself, it's very easy to pay the appropriate people to
provide that service.
Having an original thought and seeing it through to maturity is much harder. There are lots of 'behind-the-scenes'
development that transpires that you guys seldom get to see. Prototypes, design changes, supplier issues, material
procurement etc. etc.
> But how original can someone's design be, when the
> resulting hardware
> has to function as an extension in a machine that is already there?
In any engineering design there are constraints. Even given a clean sheet, you can't design in everything. Augmenting an
existing design will necessarily constrain you even more. But even constrained designs can show originality.
Case in point, the SER-001 rev B does indeed use a version of the serial chip found on the motherboard BUT if you look
at the board, you will see an alternate footprint pattern that is unused yet connected. This is so I could take
advantage of slightly different chip sets from different manufacturers. This was never part of any previous design. It
came from me. Period.
> Take the dongle destroyer:
> Serial ports use chips. The one that is in the Newton,
> dictates how the
> wires should be connected to the connector.
But what if you were to use a different chip like the above description?
> The hole in the inside of the Newton dictates where the connector
> should be.
As I said some things are constrained by previous design.
> Same goes for memory extensions.
> The original design of the machine dictates what chips fit and which
> don't, and how they should be wired to fit the extension connector.
Not really. All that is dictated is the connector type and pin assignment. Other than that, the designer is free to put
any number of chips in whatever configuration he/she sees fit in order to achieve their goal.
All I need to know is what signals are expected where and when. The 'how' is up to me.
> If Newertech's, PCBman's or Ferdi's or mine( if I were to
> make one) or
> anyone's memory extension, they may look yellow, green or brown, the
> wires will have to go from pin a to pin b etc. in order to function.
> That scheme has been decided at the time the Newton was designed.
Like I said, all that is fixed is the signal assignment to the connector pins.
> In my opinion the only one who really has copyrights in these
> matters,is the maker of the Newtons, ie. Apple.
Well opinions are like a$$h*ls, everyone's got one and everyone thinks the other persons' stinks!
Apple, or anyone else for that matter, has nothing to do with this. To think along those lines is to miss the point
entirely.
> All others should get kudos for patiently retro-designing all
> the wires
> and sharing their findings with others. Be it free or for a
> reasonable
> price.
Thanks. But don't put everyone in the same box. I am a designer. I frequently put things together in new
and sometimes, exiting ways. Not just revamping things.
> And if there's more than one doing the same thing, that's fine in my view.
I have no problem with other DESIGNERS doing the same thing.
>It keeps prices of the resulting hardware realistic.
And just what is realistic? Cost of raw materials? Cost of raw materials + development? Cost of raw materials +
development + assembly? Shipping? Accounting? Labor?
I would submit that my prices ARE realistic. If someone can do ALL that I do for less then that's great!
But remember, that doesn't mean just SELL for less.
Quality has a price.
PCBman
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