Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!usenet.ukfsn.org!not-for-mail From: Martin Gregorie Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.programmer Subject: Re: 64-bit gotcha Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 12:06:20 +0000 (UTC) Organization: UK Free Software Network Lines: 34 Message-ID: References: <4eda8488$0$287$14726298@news.sunsite.dk> NNTP-Posting-Host: 84.45.235.129 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: localhost.localdomain 1323000380 21394 84.45.235.129 (4 Dec 2011 12:06:20 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@localhost.localdomain NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2011 12:06:20 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: Pan/0.135 (Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea; GIT 30dc37b master) Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.java.programmer:10485 On Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:17:25 -0800, Roedy Green wrote: > I don't think I would enjoy programming today without some understanding > of what goes on at the chip level and inside the OS. I would hope every > CS student would write at least one device driver to get a feel for what > an OS does for a living. This is somewhat OTT, but.... I related thought has occurred here in the UK to some people with the money to do something about it. They realized that many of the current bunch of IT people in this country got their start as teenagers by hacking about with the Sinclair Spectrum and the BBC Model B - both fairly inexpensive machines and both designed so they could be experimented with - the Beeb even had a patch panel area. They have come up with a current equivalent, the RaspberryPi, which uses an ARM chip and runs Linux, so an ARM port of the JVM should be right at home. The machine is a small, simple board with 128 or 256 MB RAM, an SD card to boot from and USB, HDMI, audio and Ethernet interfaces plus a patch panel area and should sell for around $US 32. String an ethernet cable to anything that can run telnet or ssh (Kermit should be good too), plug in the power, and you're in business. Its due out early next year and, as its being done by a non-profit, prices should fall as volumes ramp up. See http://www.raspberrypi.org/ for more detail if you're interested. Disclaimer: I have no connection whatever with RaspberryPi, but am planning to get one to hack about with. -- martin@ | Martin Gregorie gregorie. | Essex, UK org |