Positive message!

[guest7146]

@AppleHammer

Arduino is just a nice complete development package, it uses C++ and a custom I/O library all wrapped up in a multiplatform package... My attraction to it was the USB link and MacOS development tools. The AVRMega328 mcu is a great and very cheap little microchip, that I have no reservations about using in a project.

Yep I think you're right - there is nothing wrong with using an Arduino as the base for an embedded project.  And, if I was starting out fresh now, I think the Arduino would be a good platform for introduction to embedded programming because most of the learning curve is associated with intricacies of the language/micro architecture and dev environments in the beginning.  The Arduino can help soften that learning curve, I think.

Also, I should add that I have absolutely nothing against AVR Micros.  I always tend to stick with Microchip PIC, but that's not because I'm one of those PIC fanboys, it's just because I started out with PICs and have had no good reason to change since.  

The mbed is a bit of a dark horse... The development platform is web based so, no Internet, no development (unless you are prepared to mess around with some of te custom gcc build chains that are floating around). But other than that, it is a very very powerful platform (it is weird using floats on a microcontroller), plenty of IO and a built in USB support (USB is vital for any project )... The standard IO library is all object oriented and quite elegant.

Yeah I'm not quite sure I like the idea of web based development.  It has some clear advantages of course, but there are some disadvantages as well.  All the same, it's an interesting platform and I'd like to take a look at it.

My thoughts lean to using an ARM M3 microcontroller to emulate a 68k, it  has enough CPU power and enough IO, and the chips cost about £10...

I agree, 68K emulation is the way to go.  Especially if a system capable of >68060 speeds can be designed.  That would be fantastic!

AH.

[Piru]

In of itself I have no truck with this, as nVidia shows, it can be done well. However the proprietary drivers for ATI/AMD graphics products has always been a hateful, spiteful experience. One which, if you're exceedingly lucky, you might get working, but more often than not will leave you frustrated and cursing the Canuks who created them.

To have something that works out of the box, won't break every time you update the kernel is a wonderful thing

nVidia proprietary drivers are a bliss indeed. apt-get install nvidia-glx nvidia-kernel-dkms and be done with it. Updates nicely even with custom-built kernels (assuming you use make-kpkg). I don't know what AMD are trying to do but they're doing it wrong.

[runequester]

Ive generally stuck it with Nvidia and had no problems at all in recent years. Everything works great

[the_leander]

Ive generally stuck it with Nvidia and had no problems at all in recent years. Everything works great

Yup. Unfortunately I didn't have much say in the matter of my laptop (it was a trade). So to go from really nasty to downright usable is great.

I did like Nvidia though when I had a desktop system.

[bloodline]

@AppleHammer

Well, I started playing with microcontrollers earlier this year... With a couple of 16F916s and a borrowed programmer, which didn't really work as I had to use a USB->serial dongle (none of my machines have serial ports any more)... It was really flakey, but PIC Asm was fun and I really got into it... So I looked for a Mac/USB system I could use and the Arduino was top of the list, the AVRMega328 Asm is very much more like 68k Asm than PIC too

I have always had a soft spot for ARMs so the Mbed was the perfect choice to give it a go... And I've not been disappointed, the mbed team at ARM are really nice too, and can always be found having a laugh on the forum

[Nostalgiac]

@Bloodline... on the happy juice for the most I see, but heck....
dismissing my own negative thoughts on most else, just wanted to +1 you on your messing with Arduino microcontrollers

I've been playing with a UBS (USB Bit Wacker) myself... brought me backs years

Tom UK

[save2600]

The one techy/geeky thing I'm excited about these days is my Roku box. Streaming Netflix stuff is awesome (quite happy with the quality), but all the other channels too are a lot of fun. Leo Laporte's even got his own channel and Hulu is coming soon. Might be old news to some of you, but since I just "un-bundled" myself from cable/internet/phone - I'm happy with the cost savings and exposure to new 'channels' thanks to trying something like this out.

Can't say that modern "computing" is becoming any more fun for me, but I do plan on getting a multi-core Intel based Mac someday soon. At this point though, all I care about is how quickly I can get things done. How fast programs load, behave and how stable they are - that's all I expect anymore. The latest version of Safari, as quick as it is, crashes on my G5 often and when it does, takes several passes of clearing caches, cookies, etc. before I can re-launch it.

[kolla]

Just want to add one more fun factor to the list

IPv4 address exhaustion will kick in early next year, making it nearly impossible to get new IPv4 addresses, forcing emerging companies and new tech over on IPv6 at last.

Just about any player in the market is prepared for this, not much prevents any ISP from switiching to IPv6 only on the customers since 99.99% of the installed systems of the user base run OSes and software that is prepared and with the preasure that is coming, many service providers that have been experimenting with IPv6 will finally set them in production.

Many OSX and Windows users here probably use IPv6 already withuout knowing it, via automatic tunnelling techniques like Teredo (default turned on since Windows Vista) and 6to4 (Apple's Airports have been doing this since 2007).

One example is that as of today, the 26th of october 2010, more than 70 norwegian news sites will be available on IPv6.

And how is this related to Amiga?

There is no IPv6 support in amiga land what-so-ever, the writings on the wall have been ignored for 10+ years - soon enough people will have other worries than just their browser not being up-to-date. The only developer who ever spoke of doing IPv6 stack for Amiga was Holder Kruse, but that ofcourse never materialized.

[the_leander]

There is no IPv6 support in amiga land what-so-ever, the writings on the wall have been ignored for 10+ years - soon enough people will have other worries than just their browser not being up-to-date. The only developer who ever spoke of doing IPv6 stack for Amiga was Holder Kruse, but that ofcourse never materialized.

And this is positive... how, exactly?

[tone007]

And this is positive... how, exactly?

Could've been worse, from kolla!  That's gotta count for something.

[actung_bab]

Just want to add one more fun factor to the list

IPv4 address exhaustion will kick in early next year, making it nearly impossible to get new IPv4 addresses, forcing emerging companies and new tech over on IPv6 at last.

Just about any player in the market is prepared for this, not much prevents any ISP from switiching to IPv6 only on the customers since 99.99% of the installed systems of the user base run OSes and software that is prepared and with the preasure that is coming, many service providers that have been experimenting with IPv6 will finally set them in production.

Many OSX and Windows users here probably use IPv6 already withuout knowing it, via automatic tunnelling techniques like Teredo (default turned on since Windows Vista) and 6to4 (Apple's Airports have been doing this since 2007).

One example is that as of today, the 26th of october 2010, more than 70 norwegian news sites will be available on IPv6.

And how is this related to Amiga?

There is no IPv6 support in amiga land what-so-ever, the writings on the wall have been ignored for 10+ years - soon enough people will have other worries than just their browser not being up-to-date. The only developer who ever spoke of doing IPv6 stack for Amiga was Holder Kruse, but that ofcourse never materialized.

what is it when l click on in windows 7 network propertys l seen l just configure
the version 4 protocol what is the difrence seems same settings . do you mean there ruuning out possible web address

[desiv]

And this is positive... how, exactly?

Because I'm sure he was just about to follow it up with a note on some kual new home router that will allow you to use IPv4 internally and proxy/NAT it out via IPv6 so you won't have to worry.

I'm sure that's where he was going...


desiv

[the_leander]

Could've been worse, from kolla!  That's gotta count for something.

Trufax

Because I'm sure he was just about to follow it up with a note on some kual new home router that will allow you to use IPv4 internally and proxy/NAT it out via IPv6 so you won't have to worry.

I'm sure that's where he was going...

:roflmao:

Aaaaaaand we're back

[the_leander]

what is it when l click on in windows 7 network propertys l seen l just configure
the version 4 protocol what is the difrence seems same settings .

As far as Windows goes, don't worry about it. When the switch comes, you probably wont notice much of a difference

do you mean there ruuning out possible web address

No, an ip address is different to a web address

Google.com's current IP address is 216.239.51.99

Now its that sets of numbers that we're running out of.

This might help explain it a bit more.

[bloodline]

It is positive!!! Think about it, as everyone moves to IPv6 address space... That leaves the entire IPv4 space free for the Amiga to play in... And err talk to itself

[tone007]

Pirate IPv4 networks popping up around the internet!  Kind of reminds me of HECnet.