On 12/18/05, Wouter van Ooijen <wouter@voti.nl> wrote:
> > Maybe you are right and I'd better put all my statements with some
> > reservations or put IMHO after them.
>
> IMHO is not the point, reservations about scope is. Giving things away
> can be a very sensible marketing strategy.

I agree with this and I'd better phrase my statement more accurately later.

> > Still Wisp628 is not totally open
>
> The term 'open' has a wide range of meanings - the wisp host software,
> firmware and circuit design are all 'open' for various values of 'open'
> :)
>
> > you have set limit on the PCB design
>
> Indeed. Most values of 'open' have some limits. Some would say that the
> GPL is the most limited of all (in some sense it is).

I tend to agree that GPL is too limited.

> > And it may benefit you but will harm others.
>
> This I don't understand, or maybe you just mean that I can harm others
> by doing perfectly legal things? Of course.

Sorry I think I phrase my statment wrongly. To me I am not so sure
if this is fair to others in the same business but I know that the
world of business is quite different.

> > Now PICkit 2 is doing a similar thing --> it will hurt third-party
> > vendors once the chip supports build up. Microchip can afford not to
> > earn much money from PICkit 2 since they earn money
> > from chips sale but small vendors may not be able to do that.
>
> But once PICkit2 supports all PICs small vendors like me can concentrate
> on other things like high-end programmers and gang programmers.
> Personally I would probably concentrate on target boards. As a vendor
> you can't be lazy.

I like your proactive attitude.

> > They can even give free C18 and C30 (now almost free) but other compiler
> > vendors will suffer. I am not so sure if that is a good thing or not.
>
> Neither am I, but I am sure that it is their good right to do so.
>

So far most of the OSS movement is in the software world. I am not so
sure if people like to see it in the hardware world. At least I am a bit
scared of a GPLed design of some common circuits or an common
IC. Sorry again I think I can not phrase properly but hopefully people
can understand what I am trying to say.

Regards,
Xiaofan

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist