GID hardware

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'''GID hardware discussion'''
 
While the ultimate solution is to design and manufacture components developed specifically to foster innovative “reworking”, an initial step involves using off-the-shelf components. One possible candidate for this is the the “gumstix” line of small form-factor motherboards and expansion cards. Linux operating systems and open source applications have been already been developed for the gumstix line, and LCD touch screens, wifi, and other input and output peripherals can be easily attached.
 
http://www.gumstix.org 
 
Some other ideas: 
 
Felipe: 
just coming back to the idea of GIDs... one could think of
dual-purpose devices: while counting with little processing
power, and being responsible for small tasks, some ten
GIDs put together could become a wireless cluster, to
perform heavier tasks. I don't know how feasible would
that be with only 54Mbps wireless networks, but the
future is coming faster and faster...
 
Matt: 
there was a Viridian contest organized by Bruce Sterling I think
where one entry involved a similar set up - little processor
boxes that ran individually, but could scale up when placed together:
 
http://www.nonsensical.com/viridian/notebook/ 
 
Also see: 
The "The Global Civil Society Laptop", winner of the Viridian contest (http://www.viridianrepository.com/) 
 
http://www.fieldsync.com/viridian/
 
Maybe one way to overcome the wireless issue is to provide for direct
physical connection points? One alone is a client, four put together
equals a server, etc. Something like the the smart-tiles developed by
MIT media lab (I think).