4 ms·

As a hardware guy I look at software with envy. Having to deal with physics is such a huge fucking pain in the ass all the time. Reality real fucking hates low

As a hardware guy I look at software with envy. Having to deal with physics is such a huge fucking pain in the ass all the time. Reality real fucking hates low entropy systems and will try and sabotage you at every turn. There is also the inherent opaqueness to reality based systems that makes debugging them a huge pain that can be enormously time consuming and expensive. And scaling is ridiculously difficult and expensive. And worst of all, for me, there is no money in hardware. At best you make a trinket that requires a $9.99 subscription to really get use out of. At worst you make a cool trinket, get forced by pricing to make it in China, and then end up just having the idea stolen and reproduced to be sold for 1/2 the cost. Ok rant over.

green_on_black 4y ago
I agree with everything except the first sentence. Similar to a meeting, where time used meets time alloted, complexity meets complexity allowed. https://www.stilldrinking.org/programming-sucks https://www.stilldrinking.org/programming-sucks
testmasterflex 4y ago
Hardware has less competition. China doesn’t know how to build the next Apple, only how to copy it. Yet, at least.
- Workaccount2 4y ago
  Considering China makes Apple's hardware, I would say that Apple's software is what makes Apple stand apart. And their SoC's of course, but ain't no lone engineer spinning up their own phone, much less their own SoC. I'm really talking about hobby projects. Hobby swe you can actually make a product, sell it, and make some income. Hardware? Maybe you can make something, but make some money? lol.
  - iancmceachern 4y ago
    Not really. There is deep knowledge and capacity in doing the hardware design. It's not as if Apple sends over a couple powerpoint slides with some renderings and then Foxconn delivers a product a year later. Apple delivers highly detailed designs, exact geometry and tolerance of each and every part, all the process documentation, specs, materials, designs for how the assembly line should be, etc. All that gets handed to Foxconn and they manage the staffing and feeding of the lines.

green_on_black 4y ago

I agree with everything except the first sentence. Similar to a meeting, where time used meets time alloted, complexity meets complexity allowed. https://www.stilldrinking.org/programming-sucks https://www.stilldrinking.org/programming-sucks

testmasterflex 4y ago

Hardware has less competition. China doesn’t know how to build the next Apple, only how to copy it. Yet, at least.

Workaccount2 4y ago
Considering China makes Apple's hardware, I would say that Apple's software is what makes Apple stand apart. And their SoC's of course, but ain't no lone engineer spinning up their own phone, much less their own SoC. I'm really talking about hobby projects. Hobby swe you can actually make a product, sell it, and make some income. Hardware? Maybe you can make something, but make some money? lol.
- iancmceachern 4y ago
  Not really. There is deep knowledge and capacity in doing the hardware design. It's not as if Apple sends over a couple powerpoint slides with some renderings and then Foxconn delivers a product a year later. Apple delivers highly detailed designs, exact geometry and tolerance of each and every part, all the process documentation, specs, materials, designs for how the assembly line should be, etc. All that gets handed to Foxconn and they manage the staffing and feeding of the lines.