Call for final Elf99 design input

From: Bill Yakowenko <yakowenk_at_cs.unc.edu>
Date: Sun Nov 29 19:53:32 1998

Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 16:35:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Ethan Dicks <erd_at_infinet.com>
To: classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Call for final Elf99 design input
Message-ID: <199811252135.QAA10978_at_user2.infinet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I wrote:
> So to me, being 1802-based and being cheap/easy
> would be the big attractions. If I could populate the entire board
> for under $20, that would probably be enough to pull me off the
> fence entirely.

To which Ethan Dicks replied:
] $20 in total parts cost is not feasible. The CPU is under $10, the RAM
] can be scavenged, the 4xxx parts scavenged or bought for <$1 each, but there
] will be at least 8 to 10 of them. The displays are between $15 and $20 for
] the pair. Switches are another expense - 12 toggle switches and a pushbutton.
]
] Cheap it will be, but not quite that cheap.

Okay, I was only thinking about the cost of chips. And $20 is not
any sort of magic number, just something that seemed possibly doable.
Mainly, I would just ask you not to require any hard-to-find $10 parts
in the name of authenticity, if an easy-to-find $0.10 part will do as
well or better. The only really important bit to me, as a software
geek, is the 1802.

Of course, this is just my vote. I'll be more likely to buy if the
cost is low, and authenicity doesn't mean much to me in this case.

        Cheers,
        Bill.
Received on Sun Nov 29 1998 - 19:53:32 GMT