[Yaaarc] Jack PC - a 5W PC in a wall socket (robot controller?)

[Keith Mc. (Route-To YAR)]

Neal Probert wrote:
> It's just a small PC.  Not much I/O unless you want to 
> use USB for everything.  [...]

Hmmm.. These days, that may not be too much of a restriction.
USB I/O and adapter are becoming ubiquitous and cheap 
(take USB/Serial bricks for example).  

It also give you a hot swap I/O capacity, plus useful data for
a robot controller's "hardware failure situation" diagnostics.

> I'd consider it only if I could load Linux on them, of course.

If that's all that's concerning you, you may wish to contact them, 
and ask 'em about the availability of a port for it.

Personally, I was attracted by the power spec.   I'm not sure if 
THIS particular widget really has the arms and legs you'd want for 
a robot controller, but it's mere existance points to the fact that 
the low powered computational silicon now EXISTS at a reasonable 
price to enable the POTENTIAL emergence of a decent, flea powered 
mobile platform robot controller.  

All it'll take now is someone with the desire, the resources, and 
a "killer app" need to develop one.  If that happens, it could spin
off a nice, small, flea powered, hackable controller for our own 
projects. We should probably be on the lookout for it.

- Keith Mc.