Dear Forest,
I take it that you are among the lucky few who work at Logic Supply.
"Congratulations" give my best to both Lisa and Roland Groeneveld. Sadly
I was not able to introduce myself at the Legislative bitch session this
evening. I tried to park on State Street in Mont-peculiar, and spent 15
minutes getting unstuck from the snow.
Let me say that I certainly hope that they are not going to the State for
any aid. I believe that they have not been all that helpful to me in my
search for Certification and Accreditation work recently.
On Wed, 28 Jan 2009, Rion D'Luz wrote:
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:26:25 -0500
From: Rion D'Luz <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Truth to power - re: Logic Supply
On Tuesday 27 January 2009, Forest Bond wrote:
Hi,
On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 11:59:51AM -0500, Paul Flint wrote:
I would have preferred that Logic Supply be a bit more community accessible.
I can't necessarily speak for the owners, but I'd be interested in hearing ideas
as to how we could improve this perception.
Well Forest, the best way would be to improve your HR dept to be more
responsive to job inquiries, specifically after one has gone to the
trouble of filling out the on-line form and submitting. Waiting weeks
before getting even some notification of receipt, let alone review, is
BS.
Rion begins with an excellent point, I will attempt to embellish it.
When I first encountered the Logic Supply organization back in 2006 they
were located near Stowe, and Lisa *was* the HR department. The interview
with Roland involved seeing their marvelous toys, and ended with my
concluding that "These folks are Dutch, and that is the way that they do
business".
Subsequently, and I suppose, just after the birth of their child, I called
up and suggested that they exhibit at Linux World Boston, I offered to
help with the costs and the booth. Roland demurred saying that Linux was
not a significant part of his Microsoft Windows based sales, OK - his
business and apparently hers.
On a more general note: I remember back when I visited you that I
mentioned how nice it would be for if LS had a little display area for
its products, maybe including some 'touchy-feely', play-with-the-gear
demos and such. You confirmed what I saw 1st hand: that the company was
not really oriented to walk-in's beyond the polite attention of the
receptionist. LS competes w/a s--t-load of others in your domain.
Couple of years later I had a client with a hot need for a closet server
farm, and I thought of an ITX based beawolf cluster as a serious
possibility. I contacted the sales manager at Logic Supploy, discussed
this potential application and asked if there was any way we could demo a
proof of concept to the client at their site (Portland, Maine). Here is
the response from their sales manager:
On Fri, 7 Mar 2008, Harold Skorstad wrote:
I've spoken with Roland this morning about your idea, and it's not
something we're in a position to entertain. If you want to purchase any
of our systems for this data center application you mentioned, you are
welcome to do so on our web site. We do not under any circumstances,
provide our customers with samples to take on loan, regardless of the
situation, that is our policy.
Well, from here, things went down hill fast, and the result is that when
they advertised for Linux help recently I sent a letter to Roland
basically asking if I should even bother, conveniently, I never received a
reply.
Now I realize that LS is probably in the 'e-commerce' business
http://www.logicsupply.com/products/gs_l08?nw=newsletter&ty=1 Logic
Supply has unveiled what it's calling the world's first case for Via's
tiny, Linux-compatible pico-ITX motherboard. The fanless Serener GS-L08
is equipped with a 2.5-inch hard drive bay and a heat pipe, yet measures
only 5.8 x 2.0 x 4.3 inches.
I suppose, now that Logic Supply is vested in the Linux Community, Forest
do you:
1. Think that they will ever help forge this community with some community
gatherings such as Rion's "show and tell" (just good business)
2. Think that Logic Supply could host a VAGUE meeting?
But there is, I suspect, a fair amount of local biz to be had if the
company was a little more 'user friendly'.
These kinds of community activities could do a lot to smooth my ruffled
feathers, because as of right now, not only would I not do business of any
type with Logic Supply, but based upon my unpleasant (and unprofitable)
experience, I would actively recommend that others avoid business with
the firm. I know that this is not polite to say, but it is the truth.
It sure would be nice to visit LS and have a chance to kick the Serener
GS-L08 tires and ride it around the block:) But if I can't, then what is
my impetus to buy your box locally AOT just going online and getting
something from:
That said, once again Rion helps with a list of alternative suppliers,
which pleases me. One never knows when an opportunity will arrive. Since
Logic Supply presents no comparable local advantage, this list will come
in damn handy Forest.
http://www.linutop.com/
http://www.handtops.com/
http://www.umpcportal.com
http://www.dualcor.com
http://www.oqo.com/
or a "Damn Small Machine" (DSM) is powered by an 800MHz Via Eden processor from
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/store/Mini_ITX_Systems
Why not go directly to an overseas manufacturer?
http://www.picopc.co.uk/
http://sttech.co.uk/
or a VIA nanobook from Taiwan
(http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6873084010.html)
or a eBox-4300, based on a 300MHz Vortex86SX SoC from Taiwan-based DMP
Microelectronics
or s sub-$100 linux thin client (http://linuxdevices.com/news/NS5563564014.html)
Bangkok-based Norhtec has unveiled a sub-$85 mini-PC claimed to be the
most affordable Linux thin client system to date. The "ultra-low-power"
MicroClient JrSX is based on a 300MHz x86-compatible SoC
(system-on-chip) and includes both CompactFlash and 2.5-inch hard drive
storage options, along with 10/100Mbps Ethernet networking.
I just purchased a TomTom based upon John's e*x*c*e*l*l*e*n*t
demonstration at the last VAGUE meeting, and would likely design around
this system. (What do you think Rion?) That said, I look forward to what
Logic Supply can do to ameliorate the feelings I have for the company.
Or not - it is just business after all...
Or any of a dozen other companies?
Indeed.
I have debated in my mind the sending of a copy of this note to the Logic
Supply owners. As they have proven unresponsive to my emails of the past
(see job hunt above), at this time I have chosen to violate my own email
protocol, and ask that Forest get back to me if he, in the spirit of Open
Systems and open deliberation, chooses to forward this message, or if he
wishes me to do so. I suspect that times are tough in tech land and it
might be that Logic Supply would consider turning acquaintances back into
friends, as we will all need as many as we can get in these bad times.
Note that I have gone out of my way to avoid speaking ill of Logic Supply
and expect that they would do the same for me.
Kindest Regards,
Paul Flint
(802) 479-2360
/************************************
Based upon email reliability concerns,
please send an acknowledgment in response to this note.
Paul Flint
Barre Open Systems Institute
17 Averill Street
Barre, VT
05641
http://www.bosivt.org
http://www.flint.com/home
skype: flintinfotech
Work: (202) 537-0480
Fax: (703) 852-7089
Consilium
gratuitum .~.
valet /V\
quanti /( )\
numerantur ^^-^^
