Hi John,<div><br></div><div> Not sure if you've seen this page on the wiki, but there are some other suggested hardware platforms listed there: <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><a href="http://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/TargetedHardware">http://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/TargetedHardware</a>. I suppose that doesn't exactly answer your question about vendors, though. I am considering developing on the <a href="http://www.pandaboard.org">http://www.pandaboard.org</a> platform (and using their vendor of Digikey), which will hopefully prove reliable since it seems there is a developer community around it (thanks to its older sibling platform the Beagleboard). Not exactly a plug computer, but I am also considering using it for some non-Freedom Box related development.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Oliver<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 10:41 AM, John Gilmore <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gnu@toad.com">gnu@toad.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
I thought I should perhaps do some development toward building actual<br>
FreedomBoxes, so I ordered a pair of DreamPlugs from Globalscale<br>
Technologies. The website says "DreamPlug - IS HERE!", took my order<br>
for two, and gave me an email reciept on March 19th. There is no way<br>
to track orders on their web site. I guess I'm used to dealing with<br>
reliable suppliers like NewEgg.com, who pack the stuff within minutes<br>
of when you order it, and immediately get it out the door. When<br>
nothing had arrived by March 23, I asked their sales team by email.<br>
They promptly replied:<br>
<br>
> We have started to ship DreamPlug(US) orders based on FIFO, your<br>
> order#113354 will be shipped around next week. You will receive a tracking<br>
> number by email later.<br>
><br>
> Thank you for your patience<br>
<br>
"Around next week" was last week. I still have seen neither a<br>
DreamPlug, an emailed tracking number, nor an update on when they'll<br>
ship it.<br>
<br>
This company doesn't look like the sort we want to base our software<br>
on. Either they're undercapitalized (e.g. they're taking our payments<br>
and using the money to buy the parts to build the products - they have<br>
no inventory) or they don't care much about supporting small<br>
customers. We could spend years making great software that runs on<br>
these boxes, and yet the ordinary joes who want to run it will get<br>
stuck for weeks dealing with a flaky vendor, give up on us, and lose<br>
their freedom.<br>
<br>
Anyone have other suggestions for hardware vendors? I'm keeping my<br>
order in, just to see how ridiculous they get, but I'm looking elsewhere.<br>
<br>
John<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br></div>