Flash disks and FFS layout heuristics

[Matthew Dillon]

:Although Apple is getting much hype about the sophistication of the
:iPhone, we've been shipping convergent devices of that complexity for
:some time now. Apple have better industrial design, but they're not
:doing anything, other than the touch screen, that we haven't already
:done.
:
:You are now *starting* to understand the level of complexity of CE
:embedded devices.

    How condescending you are.  Just remember, you started this frackas.
    I can't believe it, you actually think you know more about embedded 
    design then I do!  What a laugh.

    I don't know a thing about you, and you clearly don't know a thing about
    me.  Here's a hint:  When you don't know you shouldn't assume.

:Actually, Matt, it's you, by trying to solve a complex embedded systems
:problem as if it were a 'degenerate' large scale systems problem, who
:are "being silly."  You keep handing me crowbars when I need a scapel.

    Oooh. complex.... biiig word.  What bullshit.  You think these problems
    are complex?  Embedded systems these days are nearly complete
    single-chip microcomputers running hacked up but nearly complete
    operating systems containing 95% off-the-shelf software, much of it
    open source, and much of it provided to the developer on a shiny platter,
    with a fully operational SDK and HDK and FPGA logic around the core cpu.
    All in one chip.  These days 'embedded' means you are sporting a
    completely functional linux operating system in a two chip solution
    with virtually no external parts required beyond those needed for the
    connectors.  And it's all now written in C or C++ or whatever the hell
    language you want to write it in.

    It's crazy easy to do embedded development work these days.  No more
    difficult then writing software on a full blown PC.

    I'm sorry, but if that is your idea of complex then its roughly
    equivalent to my idea of ridiculously easy.

					-Matt
					Matthew Dillon 
					<dillon at backplane.com>