I see your point. At this precise moment, your standard is up-to-date. I cannot complain. But just imagine that the EOMA things had gone faster and 1 year ago it was in production - before list discussion took place and decision to add USB3.0 was made (there is a planned update to USB3.1 with something like 10Gbit). Could we say that EOMA will be limiting for its users (it it missed the USB3.0)? Could you claim Gbit ethernet if EOMA had only USB2.0? Will anyone that plans on NAS-like server usage jump on EOMA product if he knows that there is no native SATA but just USB to SATA + USB to Gbit on one 480mbit/s port? Not to mention possibility to end up with 12Mbit/s port on some cards...
Even now it is limiting because the same A10, A20, i.MX provide SATA, PCIe that base board designer cannot use. Not to mention MIPI and other high speed board interfaces. Is there a good way to add a camera (or even 2) to an EOMA based board? I think USB will come to the resque? But even now it is over-saturated for some of the boards...
I checked EOMA page at elinux - there is a planned update of the standard in "2-3 years". I would say, backward compatibility will be lost? New base boards for new CPU cards? Where is the 10 years lifespan? Who will care producing old standard cpu cards with new SoCs?
You say Gbit Ethernet - but IC1T does not have this? So I, in the position of designer of base board, cannot rely on this because some cards with give limited speed?
In fact you are using one single multifunctional interface as backup - I mean the USB. If SoC does not support something, add it on USB. From the early days of EOMA you are ruling out the OMAPs because of HS-only USB. But the same workaround as for low end cards could have save the OMAP CPU card - you just need a HUB (on the CPU card). Probably this was the point behind developing SoC with HS only USB? Even with other "supported" SoC designers are ending with USB HUBs on the base board... So there is an alternative solutioin - base boards that need to connect internal low/full speed USB devices need to add a hub. If my product does not export user USB out of the "base board", and has nothing but HS capable on board peripherals, I can safely use any card, even those with OMAPs.
Miguel speaks about <16ms reaction time (this is another topic), but obviously he demands some performance. So, for this reason or another, his product will never work with low end card (beside presenting "unsupported cpu card" message). To be able to sell products he has to satisfy user demands. Limited audio bit depth and network speed are bad for him - one youtube review about slow game console and mass user will be lost. Yes, geeks will know that with good cpu card everything is fine, so it comes to the same point where we started - "someone" will define list of supported cards, even if it is not Miguel because he is not allowed to do it by standard.
I have another question, sorry if it is out of context here. I know PCMCIA was designed long ago - is it certified that it will run fine with 5Gbits signals USB3.0? Does it comply to impedance matching for all interfaces? How about EMI? I am asking because one reason (for us) to switch to another SoM format was newer, high speed interfaces. Our suppliers switched to connectors that are compatible with newer standards. Maybe they could route out HS USB or SATA on ISA connector... I even doubt if PCMCIA can cope to USB2.0 HS routing requirements. I know it works in practice, even with flying wires. But not for production HW.