http://thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware "Now I feel like I know less about what that blog is about than I did before." Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:39:41 +0000 http://thetarpit.org hourly 1 http://thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-4068 On open sores supply chainz « The Tar Pit Thu, 20 Apr 2023 18:05:58 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-4068 [...] of machinery that supports whatever it is you're trying to do. This layer alone comes with a pretty serious set of problems, since as of yet no one knows how to bake ICs without spending a fortune on masks4. [...] [...] of machinery that supports whatever it is you're trying to do. This layer alone comes with a pretty serious set of problems, since as of yet no one knows how to bake ICs without spending a fortune on masks4. [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-3010 On intellectual feudalism « The Tar Pit Sun, 18 Sep 2022 16:18:52 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-3010 [...] Now, as the economy turns more and more into economy at scale and as the bar gets lowered further and further, this chain of dependencies has evolved necessarily towards a star topology -- and from this point of view, ancient Rome pales in comparison to the situation today. Let's leave aside for a moment the simple fact that software processes have become centralized through GitHub et alia; in order to make a first small step towards the so-called "decentralization", one would have to begin by tearing down the cloud, which is, whether you agree with me or not, a piss against the wind; a small one, but it's going to get one full of piss either way. And this doesn't even cut it close: how does one face the fact that making the hardware is expensive as shit and there is as of yet no way to produce it independently? [...] [...] Now, as the economy turns more and more into economy at scale and as the bar gets lowered further and further, this chain of dependencies has evolved necessarily towards a star topology -- and from this point of view, ancient Rome pales in comparison to the situation today. Let's leave aside for a moment the simple fact that software processes have become centralized through GitHub et alia; in order to make a first small step towards the so-called "decentralization", one would have to begin by tearing down the cloud, which is, whether you agree with me or not, a piss against the wind; a small one, but it's going to get one full of piss either way. And this doesn't even cut it close: how does one face the fact that making the hardware is expensive as shit and there is as of yet no way to produce it independently? [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-420 Bootloading operating systems, some opening bits and the current state in personal computing « The Tar Pit Wed, 14 Oct 2020 06:45:17 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/future-of-computing-hardware#comment-420 [...] for acceptable nowadays, what the hell else can you do. The 2010s are all but gone and building one's own hardware still requires an insane amount of resources, much despite idiots' pretenses of "progress" in the [...] [...] for acceptable nowadays, what the hell else can you do. The 2010s are all but gone and building one's own hardware still requires an insane amount of resources, much despite idiots' pretenses of "progress" in the [...]

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