[coreboot] TALOS project short of funding goals - where to now?

[Łukasz Dobrowolski]

On 12/12/2016 02:42 PM, Merlin Büge wrote:
> There are people who really need that performance, e.g. for
> various (open source) software / hardware development. I can see your
> point and I presume you don't really need such a powerful workstation --
> me neither. But if you are working on big software projects, you cannot
> keep pace using librebooted Thinkpads or even ARM devices I guess :/
Nothing that could be produced by the coumunity right now can suit everyone's needs.
If somebody needs that performance then this would not be for them.

> I think the novena was not really supposed to be a laptop, but rather
> a mobile "hacking station". It was not targeted at the average linux
> user who just wants an open laptop.
True. But this is actually something that is close to being viable.
What is needed is a project that can meet it's target's needs.
I think that many people don't need that much power. I've seen many hackers
with x201s' with x200 (i use x140e). Some of those people also use more powerful
stationary PC-s.

> By the way there still are a few interesting projects in this lower
> performance class:
>   https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop
I doubt that there is a viable use case that will popular enough.
After all i can just buy a ATX board suported by libreboot and put an 8 core amd fx.

>   https://www.olimex.com/Products/DIY%20Laptop/
I've watched talk by mr. Olimex. His focus is to be able to
swap only the broken parts instead of the whole laptop.
Afaik mr. olimex doesent mind using allwiners. And we know that it's not good for security.
Many(most) people who don't want ME are conscious about security.

Modularity is something that makes many open projects unpractical.
Modularity is *not* free, it has serious drawbacks. It makes
devices way bigger then they need to be. There is a reason why normal projects are not modular.

>   http://openlunchbox.com/
AMD's version of ME. Yay!
 
>   http://www.powerpc-notebook.org/en/
Closer but still not it. Somehow I don't see hackers with 15.6" laptops that are open.
I think it's because many of those people carry their laptop with them most of the time.

>   ... and of course the upcoming RISC-V stuff.
Not going to be viable for quite some time.