Affordable Touchscreens

As a result, I really do feel you can now have a sexy, no compromise interface via a web browser. I'm not saying the age of the GUI is over -- it isn't. Some things -- especially things that run entirely locally (like a word processor) I have a hard time seeing working like this (then again, I could be wrong). But for client/server type things, it is a reality now.
Click to expand...

Don't forget though that, for this application, it must be possible to create it via a drag and drop, fill in the blanks sort of designer as well. No one would be wanting to edit HTML to change the interface.
 
Dean Roddey said:
As a result, I really do feel you can now have a sexy, no compromise interface via a web browser. I'm not saying the age of the GUI is over -- it isn't. Some things -- especially things that run entirely locally (like a word processor) I have a hard time seeing working like this (then again, I could be wrong). But for client/server type things, it is a reality now.
Click to expand...

Don't forget though that, for this application, it must be possible to create it via a drag and drop, fill in the blanks sort of designer as well. No one would be wanting to edit HTML to change the interface.
Click to expand...
I think that's a little too strong a statement. Although we are not necessarily the market you are thinking about, I think there are quite a few people HERE who would be willing to right code if the hardware was priced low enough.
 
jpkishere said:
For reference this is pretty much exactly what would work...

http://www.gokis.net/self-service/archives/000747.html

It is not CE driven, but embedded XP..

Wonder what the cost is??
Click to expand...
I really like those. But though I've never priced that unit, I've found similar units in the $3000 to $5000 price range. Too rich for my blood (which is often diluted with alcohol, anyway).

I would hope that something like that would become inexpensive someday.
 
Dean Roddey said:
Don't forget though that, for this application, it must be possible to create it via a drag and drop, fill in the blanks sort of designer as well. No one would be wanting to edit HTML to change the interface.
Click to expand...
I can see that, but one of the things I found really amazing about the technology I was looking at was that they were able to implement full drag and drop -- pick up icons, drag them around and drop them at arbitrary places or into grids, etc. All without any special plugins or anything -- just javascript, AJAX and DHTML.

While that is a far cry from a designer module, at least the underlying support is there to make such a thing possible.

And using tools like GWT (Google Windowing toolkit -- an AJAX/DHTML library Goolge is using), things get dynamic enough you may be able to do this and ignore the HTML side of things and be able to build the UI from data like you would a regular GUI.

In my professional life, my company creates large scale ERP class software for use in public schools. Our current generation is a combination of web technologies and newer AJAX/DHTML stuff. After some recent demos, I'm working on bringing in even more inter-activity -- to the point we're almost ditching the whole "page model" that you tend to think about web apps in.

I'm sure this is going to be big. I felt the same thrill and recognition of a technological progression the first time I saw a full GUI app, a web browser, google, A well designed Java app, etc.

Gerry
 
I have purchased two Viewsonic Windows CE based touchscreens in hopes of interfacing them to the M1 and neither one could be interfaced with the ELKRM software because them were running the older edition of Windows CE.


Be very careful on your touchscreen selection and what you want to do with it. Windows CE can have some big limitations according to how the manufacturer compiled the Windows CE operating system's board support package. Most are designed to do a specific job and may or may not work with third party software.

I though the UMPC was going to be a great low cost touchscreen when they announced $500 retail before they were released, but that flopped.

Wireless PDA's are so far the least expensive touchscreens that I have seen that has a warranty.
 
It is a given that CE devices of the UMPC sort will go through the standard pricing phases. It's just come out so it's in the early adopter phase. They'd have been stupid not to do that. Get the bucks from the folks who need one now and will spend the money. Tap that market out and then ramp it down.
 
As for the cost of running PC's, I personally am not to worried about this anymore after using my kill-a-watt meter to get some numbers. It costs me around $5 a month to run my high performance P4 HTPC 24/7. So a touch screen with a small PC would probably use way less energy than my 'big rig'.
 
Keep in mind that is ONLY the touchscreen itself. You still need a PC to drive it plus Cat5 adapters, long VGA cord, UTMA board, or PC mounted nearby the screen (like in a closet behind the screen).
 
I'm still not clear how you get camera video to display on one of these PC connected touch screens? Do you use IP cameras and send video to the screen as a web page?

I also would like to know more about the upcoming video option for ther Elk display. Will that be a new display model or a new feature for existing displays? Any specs yet?
 
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