Re: Switching audio via an Ocelot and SECU's

["Bill Kearney" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Yes, I know that trick.  But why should *I* have to compensate for their
> programming problems or poor choice of forum software?

Hey, worth every penny that registration costs you, right?  <grin>

Yeah, some sites suck more than others.  But think back a few years.  I'm
not complaining!

> My greater struggle is that "any time you come across a website with a
> crappy search interface" usually means there's something *crappy*
somewhere
> in the company.

No, I wouldn't go that far.  Too many of us online folks are SERIOUSLY
over-skilled compared to the 'real people' slaving away at those real jobs.

> It's really put me off investing any more money in the ADI line of
> equipment.

Well, I'd put more emphasis on how well the actual product works, not just
the web forums.

> Considering I can buy a Pentium class mini-ITX for roughly the cost of an
> Ocelot I think I need to re-evaluate my system design.  I'll always be
able
> to find a replacement controller if I choose the PC-based strategy.

True, but babysitting a PC, over time, is a LOT more tedious that
set-and-forget appliance-like boxes.

> On the
> other hand, things could get pretty hairy if ADI goes out of business.

And if a meteor struck tomorrow we'd likewise be screwed.

> I keep thinking of the gentlemen from the UK who recently posted with his
> burned-out control board who'll have to redo his entire system because the
> specialized CPU board was no longer available.

The curse of proprietary/bleeding edge.

> I think I might seriously
> look into the Elk line of products to see if they're hitting more of their
> marks than ADI.  Although I can't find it with the forum search tool, I am
> sure that one of ADI's key technical people left.  I'll bet he took a lot
of
> "institutional memory" with him.  That's a worrisome problem in a small
> company.  It's caused more than one such shop to shutter their doors.

SO true.

> For the things I am trying to do, I'm becoming more and more convinced
that
> a mini-ITX PC is the proper way to do it instead of the Rube Goldberg-ish
> method of converting RF to IR to X-10 and torturing myself with ladder
logic
> programming to work around the shortcomings of the Ocelot.

Oh now from THAT perspective, yes, a PC would certainly be a lot more
flexible and less of a pain to get configured.  Just aim for building it as
'appliance-like' as possible.  Heck, if you can run the stuff in linux I'd
go for one of those low-end router device hacks.  Soekris (sp?) comes to
mind.

> For a device
> that's strongly oriented towards X-10 NOT to have some sort of X-10 RF
> interface (especially when Dave even dumped on e in their laps!!!!) is
just
> bogus. There's no other word to describe it.  They've fallen asleep at the
> wheel, I fear.  [/flames off]

Yeah, all your points are valid.  Hopefully they'll re-energize themselves.

-Bill Kearney