[9fans] Crazy idea... or a new project?

[9fans] Crazy idea... or a new project?

[Andrew Zubinski]

I think that I'm correct in next sentences:

1. Plan9 support community (both developers and users) is small
2. Any OS (even so beautifull like Plan9) whithout x86 platform support
is dead OS
3. x86 platform is evil for small community
4. Because small community must support all spectre of PC-compatible
garbage
5. So, there are no free time to develop application software
6. And without application software even great OS will be no more than
"very
interesting thing" for very small community

IMHO, there is only one way to realize all Plan9 power - new hardware
platform:
low-cost, open at specifications level, non-x86.
Why it must be open and cheap?
Are you remember the stories of NeXT and Be?

Let it be wearable Plan9 terminal especially designed with requirements
of small
electronics companies in mind (simple and small PCB, chips with small
pin-outs). And for a CPU & file servers we must create portable and
POSIX-OS-independent implementations (it is hard but possible).

As engineer I see the prototype of such "Plan9Wear":
------------------
System CPU - low-cost ($25-30 in sample quantity) MIPS-clone
(with frequency about 100-133 MHz and power ~1-3 W)
like IDT R/RC4640 or NEC). And we have the MIPS kernel...
------------------
System DSP - for the bitblt implementation, speech controls (why not?)
and etc.
------------------
System Bus Controller - FPGA based or low-cost single chip
PCI bridge (DRAM controller)
------------------
System Memory - 128 MB standard DIMM + Flash BOOT
------------------
Interfaces - USB 2.0 + IEEE-802.11a high-speed wireless
------------------
Grayscale microdisplay (Kopin 1280x1024, 256 gray levels), $100-150
(???)

IMHO, the wearable Plan9 will be really great thing. And main system
ideas are very
suitable for wireless and wearable applications.

Maybe it is time to start development ????

P.S.
Sorry for my ugly English... :-)

[9fans] Crazy idea... or a new project?

[Richard]

Andrew Zubinski writes:

>I think that I'm correct in next sentences:
>
>1. Plan9 support community (both developers and users) is small
>2. Any OS (even so beautifull like Plan9) whithout x86 platform support
>is dead OS
>3. x86 platform is evil for small community
>4. Because small community must support all spectre of PC-compatible
>garbage
>5. So, there are no free time to develop application software
>6. And without application software even great OS will be no more than
>"very interesting thing" for very small community

agree.  and let me add that

7. the more users an OS has, the more value it offers to the average user,
   and hence, the easier it is for the OS to attract new users.

Re: [9fans] Crazy idea... or a new project?

[Boyd Roberts]

From: Andrew Zubinski <andrew@itc.kiev.ua>

> 3. x86 platform is evil for small community

3. x86 platform is evil.

[9fans] Re: Crazy idea... or a new project?

[Bojan Zdravkovic]

What are you waiting for Alex? Write it.

-Bojan