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Title: Whats going on with firefly? [Print This Page]

Author: AussieJohn Time: 4/30/2016 21:49
Title: Whats going on with firefly?
Hi, i just wanted to find out whats going on iwth firefly in term of there time, im somewhat confused why they havent updated there linux distro fors some time yet have had time to realease and expansion board version of the rk3288.
ould someone pleae enlightment as to whats going on?

thanks
aussie_john

Author: tlgimenes Time: 5/1/2016 10:55
Well, this was under discussion on this thread and I've asked the same question, until they just start ignoring me and other users.

Their official answer, as long as I could understand, is that newer versions are not stable enough for them to do up-to-date images.

Well, I think this was just a political answer. I think the real reason is; their only money source is on selling these boards. If they have a bigger variety of boards, they can achieve more people, sell more boards and then make more money. The costs of developing new boards are the costs called of NRE costs (non-recurring engineering costs), which means that for developing a new board they just need to hire a freelancer, pay this guy for a while and, in a few months, they have a new product, extending their product range. Now, if you want to have an up-to-date software image, you have to do the same freelancer scheme, but this time, instead of you extending your product line, all you will have in the end is up-to-date software, what is interesting mainly for users, people who have already bought the board and probably won't buy another one any time soon.

Well, this reasoning is poor and I hope I'm wrong, but it makes sense when you realize no one touches the so criticized old images for ages, and they have a brand new board coming out that frequently.

Hope someone answers you this time !

cheers !

Author: AussieJohn Time: 5/1/2016 11:02
It's a shame because if they had better software support I'd buy more boards, it's really a nobrainer

Author: andrewsmithty Time: 6/12/2016 20:02
i am feeling screwed over too

their software support feels dead.
i may just go back to aliexpress where i ordered and change my review
so others would not make the same mistake of buying an unsupported board like me.

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