Subject:
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Re: JCX vs $100 laptop with a cracked screen
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Sun, 9 Feb 2003 15:36:25 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <sjbaker1@SPAMLESSairmail.net>
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Viewed:
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835 times
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Rob Limbaugh wrote:
> It doesn't matter how good/bad your service/support is if you are the only place • > the JCX comes from and supports it.
>
> My job involves supporting computer systems. I see people/places willing to throw
> away computers just because they upgraded to something newer--nothing wrong with the
> 2-year-old system. Laptops are cheaper to replace than fix outside of warranty (esp. if
> the screen is damaged)--yet work fine with an external monitor. In my world, recycling
> laptops for robotics makes perfect sense (to me, anyway).
I agree that $500 for a robot controller is probably too much for most people on this
list. However, a product is worth what people will pay for it - and if enough people
are prepared to shell out $500 to make it worth making the JCX - then that's what it's
worth.
OTOH, the 'recycled laptop' approach has serious problems:
1) A recycled laptop is HUGE for a Lego robot. Most of us are building
robots that are maybe 6" to 8" long and less than that wide.
2) The laptop has none of the right interfaces for dealing with sensors
and motors - so significant hacking of the circuitry and software is
needed before it could be considered useful. Not everyone has the
desire or ability to do that.
3) One of the big benefits of Lego robotic is lost - our ability so share
designs and reproduce the work of others. Since no to broken laptops
are the same, no two robots could be the same.
I think that a more viable solution would be to use a palmtop - but it still
suffers from (2) - none of the right interfaces.
> You'll start getting my attention when the JCX drops to around $200.
With RCX sets coming in at $150 - including the controller *AND* 500
or so Lego parts, I think the JCX has to be a lot cheaper than that.
When RCX sets finally disappear completely from store shelves, they'll
still be on Ebay for a while to come. When they finally become to rare
there too, the JCX might become viable as a solution. However, whilst
we get new enthusiasts of Lego robotics at the $200 price point - I doubt
we'll get any at the $600 level that a JCX and 500 technics parts would
come in at.
I don't think either JCX or recycled laptops is the way forward. Unless
Lego come up with a new solution, I predict a slow decline in the Lego
robotics community over the next few years - leaving a 'core' interest
group that will continue indefinitely using their existing parts and
what they can buy second hand. That's rather depressing - but IMHO,
it's the most realistic scenario.
---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net> WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://www.sjbaker.org
Projects : http://plib.sf.net http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | RE: JCX vs $100 laptop with a cracked screen
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| Bruce, My opinions are do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. The correct link for the quote is: (URL) article has to do specifically with the fast food business, not traditional product manufacturing or retail sales. It talks about how (...) (22 years ago, 9-Feb-03, to lugnet.robotics)
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