Re: Is there a way to use Linux on the E450 ?

In article <20060917211405.40c1c9f1.hoendech@xxxxxx>,
Stefaan A Eeckels <hoendech@xxxxxx> wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 09:44:24 -0600
Josh McKee <jtmckee@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

Again: I'm not discounting the additional feature capability of OBP.
I'm just looking for examples of real world examples where people
take regular (there will always be someone who's digging into the
heart of any system) advantage of these features.

You've set yourself a task that cannot but fail - it is not the
vocation of either OBP or BIOS to be used frequently. Thus, if you
define (as you seem to do) "regular" as "on a daily or maybe weekly
basis", you will, or indeed cannot, find any advantage to the OBP.

That doesn't mean that the OBP isn't a better design, which it is.

I am not arguing against this. I have repeatedly stated that I think the
OBP is better. I don't know how to make this any clearer than by
directly saying it.

Taking the idea of using an interpreter instead of the machine language
of the current processor, there's no doubt that the OBP approach is far
superior, even though not of any particular value to the user of a
particular machine, and most certainly not used "regularly".

Are you really arguing that we should make our designs as bad as we
possibly can without making them non-functional?

Not at all. However I find it interesting that some people are basing
purchasing decisions on such under utilized things. Perhaps an analogy
could help: I went and looked at those sleep number beds yesterday. I'd
seen a lot of TV commercials for them and decided to see what they were
all about. I went for a "tour" of these beds and found them to be nice.
I now know what my sleep number is. Then I was hit with the price:
$1,800 for the middle of the line mattress. While I'm not an expert in
the area of mattresses this struck me as kind of expensive. Then came
the rationalization. I could adjust this bed whereas I could not a
traditional mattress. Then reality set in: How often, once I set it for
my number, would I actually change the setting? Perhaps every now and
then because I could. But would I really benefit from one of these
mattresses instead of just buying a non-adjustable mattress that was
close to my number? Now sleep number bed advocates will point out that I
cannot change the firmness of my mattress whereas they can. They have a
benefit that I do not. A benefit that, upon close examination, is
unlikely to be as beneficial as first thought.

Josh
.