On Wed, 6 Feb 2013, Toby Corkindale <toby.corkindale@strategicdata.com.au> wrote:
If you're serious about playing with small, low-power embedded-style devices, get the BeagleBone. The Linux support is excellent, there's lots of hardware you can add to it, and it has a million i/o methods.
Toby, why don't you try and arrange a LUV bulk purchase deal for the small embedded-style Linux device of your preference. Ask for people to email you off-list if they are interested and then contact the wholesalers to see what discounts you can get. After that's done you have to collect the money and distribute the devices when they arrive - this may seem like hard work but it could turn out to be easier than discussing things on the list. Also you might try to get an expert on the system in question to meet LUV members. If the expert happens to not be available for a LUV meeting then arrange a dinner meeting. Feel free to arrange a meeting that suits your culinary preferences while keeping in mind the fact that someone who wants to buy a really cheap system probably won't want a really expensive meal and the fact that travel times determine the range of locations. I am totally serious about this. The more opportunities that LUV members have to meet experts on subjects related to Linux the better. Lots of LUV members either can't afford to attend LCA or can't spare the time, so when we find experts who are available locally to share their knowledge for free it's a real benefit for LUV members. The more opportunities that LUV members have to buy hardware at discount prices the better. There are lots of different devices that serve different needs, and giving everyone the opportunity to buy stuff that suits their needs cheaply is a good thing. -- My Main Blog http://etbe.coker.com.au/ My Documents Blog http://doc.coker.com.au/