[Openchrome-users] Missing VIA specs?

[Soeren D. Schulze]

Bill McGonigle wrote:
> The project is going to ramp up on something like a power-of-two 
> progression - we only need a couple of devices for R&D, but then we'll 
> be doing a beta test with a few dozen devices, and if things go as 
> planned we can be ordering a few thousand Via boards by early next year 
> for a first phase of deployment.  I wrote a few e-mails to Via asking 
> for some basic specs (e.g. fill rates on hardware) and after 6 weeks of 
> trying I got a mail back from a rep, but to get actual specs (the kind 
> everybody else publishes) required an NDA.  As this is a self-funded 
> startup, I'm reluctant to hire an attorney to review such contracts, as 
> it's simply right now cheaper to buy a board and try it, and if it 
> doesn't work save it for a firewall or something down the line than it 
> is to pay for legal council.

Did you mention you were going to buy a few thousand boards in your 
request?  I cannot imagine that people at Via care so little about their 
customers and wait 6 weeks.

They may also think NDAs are not a problem for you.

> I can't be the only solution developer facing the same kinds of choices 
> and coming to these conclusions.  If I were Via I'd just want to sell 
> lots of hardware, but they must have some other priorities in mind as well.

There are three cases that I can imagine (greater number means worse for 
us):

1. Via does not see the issue.
2. Via has some special business strategy.
3. Via is itself bound to NDAs so it is not allowed to publish anything.


Thank you

S?ren