KOSH [Kommunity Orientated Software Hardware]

Weekly Summary

Week: 28th December 1998

Number: 003

Mailing List: kosh-hardware-o

In the mailing list this week, the following items were discussed. Please do not email the scribe
regarding any of these topics, it is not his job to answer these questions, but merely to report
the topics of conversation. If you have any queries about this summary, please email
summaries@kosh.convergence.org, stating the Summary Number, and Mailing List Name, and he will try
to answer your queries.

a)

Subject: User Interface

Summary of Debate: Application Icons could be replaced with small usable 
		   versions of the applications opening window.

b)

Subject: Chips

Summary of Debate: Is IBM's new e-commerce chip similar to switched fabric I/O?

c)

Subject: Input

Summary of Debate: Infared isn't too good for input because it can't sustain
		   high bandwidth over more than a small distance.  Also 
		   interference from other I/R devices is a problem.  Lasers
		   were mentioned though they may be too costly.

d)

Subject:  Output

Summary of Debate: A laser imageing unit for drawing wire frame models would
		   be cool.  A 3d holographic output would be very cool.

e)

Subject: Distributed Processing 

Summary of Debate: A network level solution was introduced in which machines 
		   would be linked by fiber cables and idle machines would do
		   work for busy ones.  Last weeks "touch screen in every room
		   in the house" model wasn't necessarilly a terminal/central
		   computer model but rather a distributed processing model.
f)

Subject:  CPU's

Summary of Debate: Intel CPU's are everywhere, by getting KOSH to work on them
		   first the largest number of people would have access to 
		   KOSH.  Of the clone chips, Cyrix is comming out with an 
		   everything in one (video, sound, pci) chip that will make
		   systems even cheaper, while AMD's upcoming K7 looks to be
		   interesting.  The StrongArm is also cool, but maybe isn't
		   so hot in the FPU department?

g)

Subject:  Hardware Abstraction Layer

Summary of Debate: Perhaps the HAL should be able to talk to existing device
		   drivers so that all sorts of current hardware is supported.
		   Windows drivers have the advantage of being prevelant, while
		   linux device drivers have the advantage of being free.