--- Begin Message ---
The big update (For Backers Only)
*Big changes to the Almond+ hardware*
Well Kickstarter backers, today we have some very big news for you which we
expect to be meet by equal amounts of excitement and frustration.
During the Kickstarter campaign many of you had input with regards to the
hardware platform that the Almond+ was based on and quite a few mentioned that
we should consider a faster processor, more memory, USB 3.0 connectivity, 3x3
MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi, bigger displays and many other things.
After much contemplation we’ve decided to do a big overhaul with regards to the
hardware upon which the Almond+ will be built and we’ll break down the changes
in detail in this update and explain why we decided to such a major change to a
platform we already said that we didn’t want to make changes to.
*Why*
We've been busy testing the current Almond+ prototypes in our labs and it
didn't live up to our own expectations with regards to the 802.11ac Wi-Fi
throughput and the overall processor performance. We felt that by the time the
Almond+ would reach you, it would still have been a good product, but not a
great product. As such we decided to look elsewhere for more suitable hardware
for the Almond+ and we settled on a solution that we think all of you will be
very pleased with.
*The SoC *
One of the major changes that we decided to do was to move from a single core
MIPS based SoC to a much more powerful dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 based SoC.
What does this mean in terms of processing power? Well, our new SoC solution
offers close to six times more computational power in comparison to the MIPS
based SoC we originally planned on using for the Almond+.
All that extra processing power will allow us to do things that simply wasn’t
possible with the MIPS based SoC and it will also allow for much more
interesting projects developed by you, since there are fewer limitations on the
hardware side.
In addition to the much more advanced CPU core, the new SoC also offers
advanced features that you’d normally only find in enterprise level routers. We
don’t want to give away too much information at this point in time, as we’re
still busy working on optimizing things for the new hardware and working out
what we can do, but rest assure we’ll be bringing more updates about the new
ARM Cortex-A9 SoC as things process.
*Memory*
There was quite a lot of concern with regards to what some of you felt wasn’t
enough system memory in the Almond+. As the older MIPS based SoC could only use
DDR2 memory in combination with a hardware limitation, the Almond+ couldn't be
fitted with more than 128MB of RAM.
That limitation is now gone and we’re looking at upgrading the Almond+ to 256MB
of RAM. We will also be using faster DDR3 memory, as the ARM Cortex-A9 SoC
supports this faster type of memory.
We’re also upgrading the Flash memory (the built in storage) from 32MB to
128MB, or in other words, you’re getting four times as much storage as what was
originally planned.
Both of these changes will again help those that are interested in developing
for the Almond+ as there won’t be any memory constraints.
*USB 3.0 support*
One of the most requested features has been USB 3.0 support and we’re now happy
to announce that we’ve decided to implement it in the revised version of the
Almond+. We’re still evaluating the different solutions available to us.
*3x3 MIMO Wi-Fi*
Some of you weren’t that happy to see 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi as part of the
spec of the Almond+ and as such we’ve also been evaluating a move to 3x3 MIMO
802.11ac and have decided that this a must have feature for the Almond+.
If that wasn’t enough, we’re also moving the 802.11n part to 3x3 MIMO and you
can now look forward to speeds of up to 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. In other
words, the Almond+ will now offer 1300Mbps 802.11ac plus 450Mbps 802.11n which
equals to 1750Mbps in total!
*An improved cooling design*
Even before we made the decision to move to a new SoC, we were working on a
redesigned cooling solution for the Almond+. What this means is that the
product will run cooler, it’ll be more stable and it’ll be able to handle
hotter climates better.
Unlike traditional routers, the Almond+ has its heatsink exposed at the rear,
just below the ports. This has been done to allow for natural convection to
further enhance the cooling of the Almond+, rather than closing up the heatsink
inside the chassis of the router. This means that there will be minimal buildup
of heat inside the Almond+, unlike what you see in our competitor’s products.
We’ve also improved the ventilation design on the enclosure and as you can see
from the new render that we’ve provided. This minor change in the aesthetic
design of the Almond+ will also help improve the airflow inside the router and
will again help the Almond+ to run cooler.
*Decision time*
So what is the impact of all of these changes to you, our backers? Well, as
we’re sure you’ve all understood by now, adding all these new features will
take time. We need to re-design the PCB for the Almond+, we need to do
additional testing and we need to re-certify the Almond+.
As such we’re looking at a 3-4 month delay to our original shipping date. Many
of you mentioned in the comments prior to the Almond+ being successfully backed
that you’d happily wait a bit longer to get a better product. We’re sure that
you can see from today’s update that the improved Almond+ will be one of the
best routers in the market when it launches and it’ll be a product with a very
long lifespan. In combination with our SDK, the opportunities here are close to
endless when it comes to third party development and we’re really excited to
see what kind of project will be developed for the Almond+.
*Beta testers and Developers*
We'll be posting a separate update with regards to availability of units for
those of you that pledged to be a beta tester or developer.
*Refunds*
However, we also understand that some of you won’t be willing to wait the extra
time and as such we’ll be offering refunds to anyone who requests one. Please
keep in mind that we only have until the the 7th of May to issue the refunds
due to the way Kickstarter works. As such, we’d ask anyone that would like a
refund to request one as soon as possible so we can process the refunds before
we run out of time.
It’s only fair to mention that with the all these hardware changes, the final
retail product will have a much higher MSRP than the original Almond+ which
means that you’re getting an even better deal if you decide to stay on as a
backer. We won’t be announcing the estimated retail pricing today, as we still
need to finalize a few more things, but rest assure that you’ve invested in a
product that you won’t be disappointed with when it arrives.
Thank you all for your support and please tell us in the comments below what
you think about this major overhaul.
The Almond+ Team
--------------------
View this update:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2037429657/almond-80211ac-touchscreen-wifi-router-smart-home/posts/470675?ref=email&show_token=b10497c9c6b8218e
——————————————————————————————————————
Unsubscribe from this project's updates with one click:
http://www.kickstarter.com/unsubscribe/BAh7B0kiCHVpZAY6BkVGaQN2cxJJIgtleHBpcnkGOwBGSSIYMjAxMy0wNi0wMyAwNjoyOTozMQY7AEY%3D--d9e48fdd9a2987f01839286a038a6310ea31aa75/7130542?ref=email
--- End Message ---
_______________________________________________
Cerowrt-devel mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/cerowrt-devel
