Hardware Discussion

[graphmastur]

^ agreed wchill.

[edit] actually, we could go with the arm9.

[DJ Omnimaga]

We need to remain realistic about prices, though. There are many things besides the calc hardware that costs stuff. It needs a good packaging to not break during shipping (well... something easier to open than TI stuff, though), link cable (and/or USB) and the instruction CD with a paper manual summing up what's on the CD manual.

[Art_of_camelot]

Very good points DJ. We do need to think about what other things go into cost aside from the hardware itself.

[Happybobjr]

this is a math calc.  why are we trying for such high speeds.  higher than 84's yes. but let's not make this a computer.

[DJ Omnimaga]

Well, while this is a math calc, we also want to offer something more powerful than TI while keeping the price down. If we offer something slow just to keep it a math calc, then it's pointless to do this, since we might as well buy TI or Casios instead. The focus for the software is math, but the calc will be made so it's open to third-party dev, something that may need higher speed than the 15 MHz z80 in our 84+ calcs

Also this topic is about the ARM calculator, which will try to have better specs than the Nspire. The ez80 one will be cheaper

[wchill]

Regarding other parts.
I found these USB mini A to mini B cables for link cables (assuming we use miniUSB OTG) http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=WM17494-ND
Assuming we buy 100 at a time, that's around ~$2.18 per cable.
Regular miniUSB cables are slightly cheaper at $1.90/unit for 100 (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=Q362-ND). However, eBay auctions have these cables in auctions for considerably less than a dollar each.
discmakers.com manufactures 100 CDs for $162 and 100 DVDs for $202 shipped + with paper sleeves. So we're looking at ~$2 per disc.
For packaging, we can use printed boxes. Makes it look professional but doesn't cause the user to go #$%^@&$! when trying to open it. Think smartphone boxes, with their component trays and everything.
Manuals are quite expensive, unfortunately. A black tape bound 50 double-sided page manual is ~$7 each at mimeo.com. An option here is to make a Quick Start kind of sheet and put the manual on the printed disc.

[bwang]

For packaging, we can use printed boxes. Makes it look professional but doesn't cause the user to go #$%^@&$! when trying to open it. Think smartphone boxes, with their component trays and everything.

This.
I just had a lovely fight with an Nspire box today.

[alberthrocks]

lol I think a box would be nice, as long as it's informational and pretty

[DJ Omnimaga]

Oh yeah that could work, as long as they're kinda solid, when unopened. My Casio AFX 1.0 came into one.

[alberthrocks]

I'm thinking something on the lines of what Apple does, except with more information than just a pic

[wchill]

I'm thinking something on the lines of what Apple does, except with more information than just a pic

For what, exactly?

[graphmastur]

I'm thinking something on the lines of what Apple does, except with more information than just a pic

For what, exactly?

The box.

[alberthrocks]

Do you think the box should be clear (like a toy box), or modeled exactly like Apple, just without the ambiguity?

[matthias1992]

Eh folks this is harware eh...not cardboard

I suggest we get on-topic again...ok?

[alberthrocks]

OK, so back on topic. ARM9 is our core then?
I remember calc84 was mentioning another CPU, but I don't remember exactly...