The Jeff Beckham Weblog

This week’s Economist looks into the field of open-source hardware: “an emerging class of electronic devices, for which the specifications have been made public, so that enthusiasts can suggest refinements, write and share software improvements, and even build their own devices from scratch.”

Owners of open-source devices benefit by owning something that doesn’t go out-of-date or become antiquated quickly, and makers of the those devices can get their products to market faster and respond to their customers’ needs in a more timely way. Such advantages, the article says, outweigh the drawbacks of exposing what are usually seen as corporate secrets. It’s another example of how “open” beats “closed”.

One such open-source device is the Chumby, a coffee-cup-sized, soft-sided, Web-enabled puff that can be used as an Internet radio player, a digital picture frame, an alarm clock, weather station, and more. It’s got a touch screen and can run off AC or battery power.

Experts quoted in the article disagree on whether open-source hardware appeals to the tinkerer or the everyday consumer, but it also correctly points out that everyone benefits from open-source collaboration — the choices and improvements made in an open-source environment lead to better products all around.