OSNews

A very significant comment was made on Slashdot in response to someone belittling other platforms because they were closed, and that the poster was better off because they were 100% free from proprietry grip. The reply pointed out that the hardware, firmware, designs and everything used for the hardware to run Linux - is anything but open and free.

This news is of course, a good thing.

My freedey sense is tingling!

This could be very cool. Something like this could, theoretically, start a range of small computer providers like existed in the 80's.

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Hopefully someone will also port Darwin.

Let's all build our own compile farms, and make this an unqualified success.

Look:
http://www.genesippc.com/press.php?date=20050901
If that is not enough:
http://www.genesippc.com/press.php?date=20050624
It would be really something.

First of the parent did not say anything about chip manufacturing, which as you say are a tad expensive.

But the thing with starting a range of computer providers are quite possible, afterall that's the way the current major platform got started. Or IBM compatible PC as they used to be referred to.

And there are no need to build your own motherboard manufacturing plant as there already exist lots for hire, and they would probably do a better and cheaper job. But depending on capacity you can still set up a complete manufacturing line from round $1.5-3 million, so it's not a impossible investment even for a small company.

Unless those startups plan to build each and every computer by hand (and even then they need a chip foundry) and sell the finished product for very, very, very much $$$, their only other choice is to hire another company to do it for them -- and that's not cost-effective for a limited product run.

Okay, absolutely everting you say here is wrong. First of, no computer manufacturer has a chip foundry(except IBM, but it's an entirely different and separate division in the company). They all(Dell, Apple etc) buy their chips from 3rd parties(Intel, AMD, SiS etc). And they usually, for cost-effectiveness, outsource their manufacturing(Apple) and sometimes even buy motherboards from 3rd party's(Like MSI, Asus, EPoX). And limited production runs would make this approach even more cost-effective.

given that the stuff will be GPL a number of companys that allready makes chip to order for diffrent bigger companys could just produce them in bulk, then sell them of to diffrent companys that put the parts together, slap a linux distro on the whole thing and then sell it for pure profit

rember, there are chip makers all over asia

Actually, everything YOU just said is wrong. He had it right while you got it completely backwards. I've MADE limited production runs of boards by hand, and then hired a company to make them. You don't have any idea what you're talking about.

And I have been involved doing prototype, small and medium scale production series at a board/system manufacturer. But rather than comparing resumes, let's play some true or false with what I said. Please enlighten us all and tell which is not true:
-no computer manufacturer has a chip foundry(except IBM, but it's an entirely different and separate division in the company).

-They all(Dell, Apple etc) buy their chips from 3rd parties(Intel, AMD, SiS etc)

-And they usually, for cost-effectiveness, outsource their manufacturing(Big plants in low cost contries like China, Mexico etc)

-sometimes even buy motherboards from 3rd party's

-And limited production runs would make this approach even more cost-effective.(Rather than creating your own assemblyline)(In lots of companies even prototype series are outsourced, most manufacturers have specialized departments tailored for this kind of work with low volume and high turnaround.)

http://bbrv.blogspot.com/2005/11/yokuso.html