Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] net-enabled microcontrollers for appliances, VCRs, stereos

["Igor Izyumin Jr." <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

> Nope wrong again. They have highly simplified one chip lil web servers
> that cost just about $1. No flashrom, memory, etc needed.. except for some
> sort of network interface. I've seen one chip network cards for only a
> couple dollars.. WiFi probably costs a lil more still but use will drop
> the cost.
And where are they?  Who manufactures them?  I haven't seen any, personally.  
Show me a link to a datasheet, and maybe I'll believe you.  And by the way, a 
network card is far less complex than an embedded web server thing.  A NIC 
hooks right into the PCI bus, which already does most of the work for it.  A 
VCR neither has a PCI bus nor a CPU which can control the NIC.  You would 
have to put in an extra microcontroller, program it

> I've seen cheaper. Still not cheap enough to be in a milk carton but
> eventually I'm sure they will be. Probably a printed circuit in the lid or
> label. Like the little printed circuits they use for security or the
> printed cell phones or something.
Where have you seen those chips?  I really want to order a few if they are 
that cheap.

> You obviously don't follow things very close. All these parts are
> mainstream now. Not even the hackers domain anymore. 
Then why aren't there VCRs with network interfaces? The closest I've seen is 
a cable modem with a webserver.  But those things cost about two times as 
much as a VCR, for "cheap" electronics.

> I'd certainly pay $5
> extra for a VCR that was wired so that my cell phone, computer, or PDA
> could act as a universal remote via a handy network interface.
I haven't seen a wired VCR yet - probably due to two reasons:
1. The technology is not mainstream yet
2. It's not cost-effective.
3. Nobody wants them
I can't say that reason #3 is valid, since there would be at least one model 
of a VCR that had it built in.  There isn't a single thing that does it and 
is mainstream.
-- 
-- Igor
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