-------------- Original message ---------------------- From: James Richard Tyrer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Jack Carroll wrote: > > On Wed, Aug 30, 2006 at 08:38:19PM +0100, Peter TB Brett wrote: > >> Going back to the fixed frequency monitor controversy (sorry), from the > >> customer's point of view it's much better to ask the reseller to set up > >> the > >> configuration they require. That way, if it blows their monitor up it's > >> clearly not their fault! In addition, *I'd* much rather pay £5 for the > >> reseller's services than pay £30 for a SPI programming board I'd use only > >> once (better for the environment too). Though I think some sort of SPI > >> programming tool is definitely going to be useful, even if only for > >> resellers > >> and Hardcore Hardware Hackers. > > > > That's a matter of very individual preference, as you suggested in > > your last sentence. > > A non-technical user who expects to set up for just one monitor and > > stick with it may very well prefer to have the local dealer set the special > > mode. (A mail-order house probably wouldn't be willing to offer that > > service under any circumstances.) > > A user with an x86 box with a bootable CD drive and a spare VGA > > monitor (and without a wife who raises holy Hell if he brings another bulky > > piece of equipment into the house) might be fine with a live CD or > > self-booting floppy carrying a setup utility. But that's a lot of ifs. > > Been there, done that, didn't like the hoops I had to jump through at all. > > Someone who can read a monitor spec sheet and the Video Timings > > HOWTO may prefer to keep all future options open. The DIP switch tool > > _always_ works. Doesn't matter what kind of monitor, what kind of CPU > > architecture, what I/O devices, whether the CMOS settings are correct and > > will allow the machine to boot, or any other conditionals. It works. > > Period. The peace of mind is worth £30. > > Probably the tool makes some sense for VARs to use and they will > probably be a significant distribution channel for our product. > > OTOH, a person that has a fixed and non-standard sync frequency monitor > is probably likely to the the type the either built his own system or > had it built for him at the local White Box VAR. If (s)he built it, > then (s)he will probably have the tech knowledge to set it up with a VGA > or TV. If a White Box store built it, they need only hook it up to a > VGA and program it for the customer since they need to test the system > anyhow.
All good points. On the other hand, I'd rather find space for a little tool I might use only once, than a VGA monitor I'd use only once. There is also the family dynamics; a little tool board is much more likely to pass unnoticed and not draw flak from wives and parents. There is also the consideration that an external tool can be left plugged in and active, to avoid the risk of writing anything in the on-board EEPROM and creating a doorstop. In fact, I wasn't even thinking that the mode set up on the DIP switches could be transferred automatically to EEPROM, although a utility could be written to do that (on some architectures). So as I said, some of this comes down to individual preference. The simpler and the more generalized the hooks on the board are, the more scope there is for people to design external tools to suit their needs. And I think we've worked our way down to some very simple and general hooks indeed -- the DDC channel and the SPI header pins. I think that probably the simplest and most powerful hook we've thought of is bringing the SPI signals out to the accessory header, and allowing an external EEPROM to substitute itself for the on-board EEPROM. That's the all-purpose rescue tool for a board with a corrupted on-board EEPROM. And a wide variety of tools could be made to look like an SPI EEPROM. _______________________________________________ Open-graphics mailing list [email protected] http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com)
