> > I'm not trying to "rain on your parade", but you may wish to first start
> > with a somewhat more "workable" set of hardware.  Regardless of what
> others
> > may think, it would *not* be a "waste of time" to attempt such a
project.
> > The learning experience would be more than worthwhile.  And, I *can* see
> the
> > personal reward in accomplishing such a project, even if, in the end, it
> was
> > only able to display the traditional "hello world" on a display screen.
> ;-)
>
> Michael,
>
> You missed my point!  :)
>
> <quote>
> "i.e. design and build a motherboard,
> incorporating a pentium class processor or similar? (Still probably using
> standard memory, IDE drives, cards, etc.) "
> </quote>
>
> The thing would cost *at least* several thousands when it is completed,
and
> the project will take several years of hard work.

I was trying to say the same thing, but with less impetus.  ;-)  Kind of
like the difference between planting a seed and hitting someone with a tree.
;-D  They would probably have to invest that much money in just getting a
working motherboard, but if they have the money and tools, more power to
them.  ;-)  At some point they will be able to accomplish the whole project
using just a single FPGA with no "special" requirements other than a funky
socket and  some way to attach to it (probably thru a blue-tooth like short
distance rf interface ;-).  Meanwhile, they will have learned invaluable
lessons about how electricity works in the "real" world.  ;-)

>Seeing "hello world" on the screen is *not* worth it!  :)

After all the hard work, it would be much better than not seeing it.  ;-D

> Last summer I started working on a project that I thought was fun.  I
> estimated it would take me two months to build a working prototype and
then
> I would try to sell it.  I estimated the cost of parts to be around $50.
So
> far, the project cost me and my partner over a thousand dollars, and
> hundreds of hours spent doing research, soldering, coding, plotting,
> etching, drilling, troubleshooting...

Yes, I can see how that happens.  ;-)  BTDT  ;-)

> I don't mean to sound negative or pessimistic, but in my opinion, building
a
> PC clone is just not worth it.  I simply wanted to keep Tony and his
friend
> from wasting their time and money on something that is doomed to fail.

I said the same thing, I thought???

> As Jesus has put it,  "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he
> not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to
> complete it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
> everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to
build
> and was not able to finish'".

Be carefull, there are those here who will smite you for saying that.  It
has nothing to do with the meaning of the message, only He who said it.  ;-)

BTW, please take out your reply-to address.

> Best wishes to ya'll.
>
> Vitaliy

Take care,

michael brown

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