>I really don't think the contest is 'fair'. The entrant has to
>use the schematic YOU supply using the exact tools YOU specify.
>It sure looks to me like a way to get some free engineering out
>of someone.

Robert,

I understand where you are coming from.  This isn't some "free engineering
scheme" I cooked up on my own.  It was a collaborative effort between me and
several people on and off the list, asking what would be the best way to
accomplish this AS A PUBLIC SERVICE.

The concensus was:
     a) DOS compatibility was essential.  For those with Flash, it would allow
popping data collection into a laptop to suck the contents out.  For those with
hard drives, same idea but more work. For those playing MP3's, it makes an easy
way to load up your player with another set of tunes.
     b) IDE support for 500M disks minimum.  This is the breaking point between
old and new technology.  Those with FAT32 and LBA experience (at the BIOS level)
thought that sticking to CHS and 500M and FAT16 were reasonable way to achieve
DOS compatibility (see A).  A lot of data collection systems use PC's accessing
only 500M drives.
     c) A common demo board was recommeded because it would allow everybody to
have an equal platform to start from.  It was also debugged!  Who wants to debug
hardware designs first?!?!  The board provides some functionality besides simply
talking to a hard drive (SPI for MP3, a common use by those on the list for
asking for IDE interfaces), serial port (to talk to other PICs which do the data
generation?), a USB port (FTDI being the most applicable at the time).  We also
talked about adding an ISA slot but felt this made the board too big to be
cost-effective.  The smarts are there, though - go for it!
     d) A common compiler was seen as a way to be able to evaluate every
submission.  I don't have lots of spare time (it took me two weeks to get Adam's
HTML edited and posted!), and this makes the judges' jobs a lot easier.  I
explained previously why HiTech was selected.
     e) If I were looking for free engineering, you think I would have made it
available to everybody?  What about my competition, wouldn't I try to exclude
them?  That's why the NO RESTRICTIONS clause.

The others who have posted to this thread have done an excellent job of
explaining the justifications much better than I could have done.  To them I
offer a sincere THANK YOU!

>Forgive me for being somewhat cynical, but you don't supose that
>the reason no one has taken up the contest offer in the past
>is that there is a LOT more work to making it happen than
>the prize is worth ($150US).

In the past, the offer was for a 2G drive.  At that time, it was as big as my
biggest hard drive.  It would have been worth it to me.

This is a free-will thing.  If a free hard drive isn't worth it to you, fine,
don't enter.  If you would like the drive and have the time, go for it!  When I
was in college, this is exactly the kind of thing I would have done.  I had lots
of time but no money.  Can anybody relate to that?  Now I have some money (not a
lot) and no time.  Do I hear a chorus of "amens?"

If you would like to increase the offerings in order to improve the entries, be
my guest, I will be happy to make that part of the contest.  I put out a hard
drive.  Anybody else want to contribute?  Maybe we can get somebody to throw in
an ICE (Tech-Tools, Microchip, you guys listening?).  Or maybe a new
motherboard?  How about a 17" monitor?  If enough guys feel this isn't worth the
effort, then LET'S MAKE IT WORTH THE EFFORT!  We will all benefit from the
increased knowledge!

BTW, my largest hard drive is a 10G on my main computer, a 133MHz K6 (I have a
laptop that's faster, a 233 Pentium) and I have a 15" monitor.  I could use the
drive (and an new motherboard) as much as anyone.  But I am not entering the
contest since I'm one of the two judges.

Andy

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