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I think the parent mentions both and I agree with their comment. A desktop motherboard, to me, includes things like audio and video support which can be a pain

by esmi 10y ago

I think the parent mentions both and I agree with their comment. A desktop motherboard, to me, includes things like audio and video support which can be a pain to support. If all you want is a board with a USB port and memory then you can have that today.

mrweasel 10y ago
>A desktop motherboard, to me, includes things like audio and video support Ideally, what most of us want, I think, is a ARM ATX motherboard, with a few PCI Express slots. I believe that it would limit the selection of processor though.
- _ph_ 10y ago
  Yes, exactly that. The typical PC motherboards start at $100, and have so since the 90ies. Just one of those, with a socket for their cpu and a translated bios just good enough to bootstrap Linux should not be so much more expensive. Even if they had to sell it at cost it would be worth spreading the technology.
  - vertex-four 10y ago
    They are, however, mass-manufactured, and how to build an Intel motherboard is well-known, there's very little research cost involved. An ARM motherboard really couldn't be mass-manufactured - there wouldn't be enough demand - and you're starting almost from scratch in terms of knowledge of how it integrates with the processor. Also, if you wanted a socket, you'd have to actually design a socket for your ARM chip, and then sell ARM chips that are socket-able, with few people who actually want them.
blastrat 10y ago
please, HN community, downvote me to shit for speaking plain truths; pretend I said something I didn't if that helps you. the guy said why don't "manufacturers offer standard pc motherboards tweaked for their corresponding cpu?" So he basically means "swap the CPU socket and the ROM, rewire a few signal lines around the socket, how much could that cost?" If you know this to be a difficult thing to do, write "that's more expensive than you think because [and indicate how you know]" but saying "supporting full systems is expensive" is not how rational engineers move a discussion forward. Sorry if I'm too linear and making sensey for you all, but again you can easily downvote me for not helping you to turn HN into the Pokemon GO of ideas.

by esmi 10y ago

mrweasel 10y ago

>A desktop motherboard, to me, includes things like audio and video support Ideally, what most of us want, I think, is a ARM ATX motherboard, with a few PCI Express slots. I believe that it would limit the selection of processor though.

_ph_ 10y ago
Yes, exactly that. The typical PC motherboards start at $100, and have so since the 90ies. Just one of those, with a socket for their cpu and a translated bios just good enough to bootstrap Linux should not be so much more expensive. Even if they had to sell it at cost it would be worth spreading the technology.
- vertex-four 10y ago
  They are, however, mass-manufactured, and how to build an Intel motherboard is well-known, there's very little research cost involved. An ARM motherboard really couldn't be mass-manufactured - there wouldn't be enough demand - and you're starting almost from scratch in terms of knowledge of how it integrates with the processor. Also, if you wanted a socket, you'd have to actually design a socket for your ARM chip, and then sell ARM chips that are socket-able, with few people who actually want them.

blastrat 10y ago

please, HN community, downvote me to shit for speaking plain truths; pretend I said something I didn't if that helps you. the guy said why don't "manufacturers offer standard pc motherboards tweaked for their corresponding cpu?" So he basically means "swap the CPU socket and the ROM, rewire a few signal lines around the socket, how much could that cost?" If you know this to be a difficult thing to do, write "that's more expensive than you think because [and indicate how you know]" but saying "supporting full systems is expensive" is not how rational engineers move a discussion forward. Sorry if I'm too linear and making sensey for you all, but again you can easily downvote me for not helping you to turn HN into the Pokemon GO of ideas.