> Sorry for all the questions -- and thanks for taking the time
> to answer ... just a few more from me
no problem, i got time :)
> For the laptop, does the LCD connect to the Computer Card via a LVDS?
EOMA68 is RGB/TTL. there's an LVDS converter IC (a TI SN75LVDS83b)
on the laptop housing "Main PCB1".
> Will your business sell different LCD screens (perhaps higher res,
> perhaps just replacement screens) in the future that we can buy and
> swap in to the current laptop body (perhaps with a case mod, perhaps not)?
higher res for this laptop? no, sorry - higher res means "more power".
more power means you're over-budget (15 watt max), more power means
"redesign of PCB1 due to increased backlight current", also a totally
different connector would be needed.... it's really not as simple
as "plug in a different screen"
the whole *LAPTOP* has to be customised based around a holistic
approach. staggering, but that's how it is.
the LCD that's been picked is one that's mass-produced, commonly
available and pretty low-cost. you'll be able to get replacements
for years.
> Will your business sell replacement keyboards, batteries, wiring,
> battery controllers(?), etc?
the customised and bulk-bought items - battery, wiring, PCBs: yes.
the PCBs will be (are) available as GPLv3+ "Open Hardware" so
that other people can make them as well for you.
keyboards: we will deliberately pick one that's commonly available on
ebay so you can order replacements easily. likewise the LCD.
> Is Parabola appropriate if I want a stable, reliable OS to use for work?
for basic stuff - internet, email, libreoffice, printing - yeah.
you won't have adobe flash (but that's not such a big loss - bye bye
adverts hmmm i'll really miss you).
> I have heard over the years that Parabola is for advanced computers
ultimately, software is pretty much the same regardless of the OS
Distribution. it's more about the window manager than it is about
the distro.
XFCE4 is pretty much the same look-and-feel as Windows 95 was, and
it's still just as easy to use.
personally i prefer KDE 3.5 (now Trinity Desktop) but it's not available
for ARM at the moment.
> and that people who use Parabola must regularly fix bugs because
> Parabola gets all the newest updates.
people who *want* the latest updates can get them. but here's the
thing: what you can do is either:
* take a copy of the microsd card OS before doing an "update"
* get 2 Computer Cards and use one for experimenting.
the 1st way is a cheaper version of the 2nd way, but basically
you can check if an update works for you, and if it doesn't
then you just go back to the older card (memory card or
computer card).
> I am fairly novice and won't have time to learn how to fix bugs
as long as you can _report_ them clearly, explaining what's
wrong, and are happy to follow instructions that people ask
you to, to help track down the problem, then you won't be
the one actually _fixing_ the bug.
remember to respect the fact that the people you will be talking
to are volunteers: don't *DEMAND* that they fix *YOUR* problem.
be patient with them (and yourself)
and, given that you can copy (and then swap) the microsd card
or just use a 2nd computer card, the problem of "argh i updated
and need it fixed right now" goes away.
btw when applying fixes / patches recommended by the developers
treat it as an entire upgrade ok! use the same procedure:
make a copy of the micro-sd card (or use a 2nd Computer Card).
> ... reliability is really important to me. Would Debian be safer
> in this regard? How can I use Debian while sticking with Trisquel's
principles?
the OS is on the Micro SD card, you could actually try both out.
debian has more developers, but i found that the parabola team
were actually much more responsive, they surprised me by packaging
some software within two days! you can't get that kind of response
from debian!
you can however meet *most* of trisquel's principles by removing
the "nonfree" repository from /etc/apt/sources.list (or just
not adding it in the first place). however you also need to
watch out for browser default search-engines.... a stack of
other things as well... i actually don't know the full details
but i know there exists a package called "vrms" - a "Virtual
Dr Stallman" which will help you find things on debian and warn
you :)
