Opinion Needed

[ericvic]

I want to get some opinions.

Let's say you were buying a router would you be against having a Java app that was used to configure the router instead of using web pages?

Eric

 

[IVB]

downloadable off a web page, or fat client install on each machine needed?

 

[ericvic]

Downloadable via Java Web Start.

 

[Rupp]

Seems like a giant leap backward. Geeks may download a Java app and worry about having the right version of the Java platform loaded on their PC's (all of them) but the casual user would never go for this. I do mos of my router config at work remotely so this would be another strike having to load software everywhere you want to connect to your router.

 

[Mike]

Maybe it would help if you gave the background on what you were looking to accomplish, and what got you to this step.

 

[ericvic]

We are building a standalone 1-Wire controller and are working on the admin UI at the moment. Since the processor has limited memory and processing power we were thinking about using a Java config app instead of HTML because the processing power available. The Java app is much less processor intensive on the embedded processor and saves all the memory that would be taken up by the HTML pages.

Hopefully that gives you a better idea of where we are coming from.

Eric

 

[IVB]

Seems like a giant leap backward. Geeks may download a Java app and worry about having the right version of the Java platform loaded on their PC's (all of them) but the casual user would never go for this. I do mos of my router config at work remotely so this would be another strike having to load software everywhere you want to connect to your router.

Having to download a self-installing package isn't that big a deal in my book - heck, users already have to do that with Flash/etc.

However, that version thing does bring up a good point - there's frequently cross-compatability issues with java versions and client-side programs.

This might be more tech support than it's worth.

 

[rocco]

I would keep in mind that, on average, a person installing a one-wire network is more technically capable then someone who might install a router. Java compatibillity and other potential problems might not be that big an issue.

But I would like to make another distinction from a router: a router almost never has to present "live" data to the user. Live data can be a problem for an HTML-based system (ask any HomeSeer2 user).

The ability to display one-wire data, like temperatures, in real-time may be worth the extra investment in Java.

 

[ericvic]

Another option. What if the user just had to download an application (with an installer) and didn't have to worry about Java or .NET, etc...

Eric

 

[electron]

I don't mind an external application to manage the device, but I hope it doesn't have to be installed. If it could be a stand alone app which leaves the registry and other system folders alone, that would be a big bonus (so it's easy to move to another pc).

 

[noshali]

One thing to keep in mind is that the devices should be able to have communication protocol that can be easily integrated with software like Homeseer, CQC and the likes. I have no problem using an app that will do the device setup but it would mean nothing if it did not work with my HA software. Sorry if this is off topic or maybe I am talking apples and you are talking oranges. This is one of the main reasons why I have put off buying 1 wire devices.

regards,