How about a new hardware offer for developers?

Developer's Corner General Dev Discussions
1

I have a couple of guys here that would like to try to build something around Vera.
The major showstopper is lack of any discounted hardware offer for devs - they’d need one or two boxes to play with, but retail price is totally prohibitive for this purpose.

Any plans on this, before motivation is gone?

:slight_smile:

2

just ordre the orginal asus router and a usb stick and flash it.

3

does this work.
What user ID will you give the router. How will Micasa recognize it?

4

I would be sooooooooo surprised if Vera isn’t protected against so straight forward “hack”.
Zensys license isn’t cheap to give it away for no reason.

5

It doesn’t work.
You’ll have only the network/firewall stuff working(just like a normal router). The Zwave stuff will work only on our hardware.
But with our new release will have an offer to our hardware for active developers.

6

I would be an active dev if there was IR support with modules

7

So one has to commit to deliver before Aug 31st to get subsidized hardware…

When Nokia was offering subsidized hardware for devs (linux-maemo n800-n810), it was only offered to “the best” ones. But they also offered a full software emulator of the device, so people didn’t really need the actual device to play, test, and try new things.
In Vera case there’s no such a thing, AND devs can’t get the hardware without committing.

Why wouldn’t you also offer a dev kit without commitments and limitations? Make it a bit more expensive then the rest of dev program, it still will be better then nothing.

8
I would be an active dev if there was IR support with modules

The current Luup release does support IR with a gc100. We’ll hopefully have support soon for a usb->ir transmitter too, as well as the bitwise controls.

Why wouldn't you also offer a dev kit without commitments and limitations?...

Because our dealers would be furious if we started offering systems direct to the public below retail. Remember, Nokia’s product wasn’t already on the market, and the software wasn’t released, and everything was beta. So, obviously only developers would be buying it. But in our case, we already have a network of dealers/distributors actively selling and promoting our product. And the hardware for the Luup version and release version are identical. We have know way of knowing who really is a developer and who isn’t. So without the time limit and other restrictions, there’d soon be a digg article saying “Just tell them you’re a developer and you’ll get one way below cost.”

So one has to commit to deliver before Aug 31st to get subsidized hardware...

Look at our offer vs. Nokia. We’re giving cash bonuses for developers to use the platform. AFAIK that’s far more generous than Nokia or most anybody else because they just offered dev kits to a small number of people. Also, we’re not limiting subsidized hardware to a select few of the “best” developers. Note that we’re offering 200 units to anybody who develops a Luup plug-in, even if that plug-in is for your own pet project and of little use to anyone else. Maybe you’re project is a plug-in to monitor the speed on rotation on your pet hamster’s exercise wheel. Even though nobody else will use the plug-in, we’re still subsidizing the cost of your hardware if you publish the code because we figure you may find bugs in our engine while doing your plugin, and the code you write may be useful as an example for someone else who’s doing another plugin that is of general interest.

So I do think our offer is definitely on the generous side compared to others in our industry.

they also offered a full software emulator of the device, so people didn't really need the actual device to play, test, and try new things.

Agreed that would be good to have. I explained the reasons we don’t have it here: http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=1283.0 To divert resources to doing a Windows emulator means delaying Luup a long time.

9

Got it… resistance is futile…
Where’s my wallet?