At 09:05 PM 10/25/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Darryl Tang wrote:
>> 
>> Anyone doing anything with Embedded Linux?  Included with the November
issue
>> of Linux Journal is the first issue of Embedded Linux Journal that talks
>> about the explosion of Linux in the embedded devices area.  I want to learn
>> more about this and would appreciate hearing from persons in the area who
>> have an interest in embedded Linux or are working in it presently.
>
>It has been my desire for about three years now to have an MP3 player
>with several gigs of storage in a car... I had amassed the necessary
>hardware to build such a device when I moved to the phoenix area,
>here, I feel, magnetic storage may be a bit of a problem when in-trunk
>temperatures could easily reach 140F on the hottest days...

I got to looking around recently, after hearing about PC104 in articles for
a few years I finally looked up just what it is.  And as soon as I started
seeing listings of PC104 cards and cases...  

What I'd love to see would be a nice embedded kit, something coming with a
small case and basic parts (including either a network card, or networking
built in on the main board).  Something where you just add a processor,
memory and your choice of storage technology (3.5 or 2.5 inch drive & a
floppy, solid state disk drive, ROM, whatever) and presto you've got a
small low power networkable box.  Something either under $250-300 for the
basic parts, or still under $500 if it's including more parts.

>I know for a fact (one I learned "the hard way") that CDR's are no
>solution to this problem either... I lost a couple of audio CDRs to
>being left in the car .. they would just skip more and more and more
>when I left them in the player. Eventually I realized what was
>happening, and havent had this problem since I started bringing
>everything inside with me. Normal CDs to not appear to erase
>themselves in these temperatures (120-140?), or, if they do, I have
>not experienced it in the short duration which my normal audio CDs
>were exposed to those temperatures. (the problem was DEFINITLY not one
>of exposure to sunlight, direct or indirect)

I'd love to build something along the lines of a Sindwinder box, even if
it's coming out at twice the size that would still be a lot smaller than
even a mini-tower PC.  And if it's low power (I saw on Ampro's web site a
small case designed for use as a Point Of Sale terminal, only a 60 watt
power supply) you could plug in several without worrying about the outlets
taking it.

I just really like the idea though of having a couple of special purpose
tiny computers sitting on my desk.  One acting ass a dial-up router,
another acting as a local web server (say Apache, Zope, and a couple of
scripting languages, and only what's needed to support them), one running
MySQL to learn about SQL with..

Heh.

At that rate I just spent several months free cash unless there's some
cheaper sources than I've found so far.  Admittedly though I haven't been
serious enough about looking to search very hard - mostly it's just been
satisfying curiosity about what's out there.

Though the last week or so I've been pondering the idea of building a
portable' computer.  Not a laptop, but something reaching back to the style
of the early portable PC's.  But a portable MP3 player would be nice too --
a suitcase with a couple small speakers, and a computer and say a salvaged
laptop LCD monitor for viewing the playlists.




Steven "Oh I just joined that sacred band of ''Those who have bleed for
their computers'' this week.  My but a tiny scrape can make a thumb bleed,"
Martindale