Will iPhone / iPod Touch Replace Touch Screens and UMPCs?

[upstatemike]

I didn't realize a law requiring local screens had been passed.

Yes, the legislation governing this was signed into law in the summer of 2004. Seriously, I don't know if this will be viable or if the screens will turn out to be too small to be practical. I am just noting a trend and trying to guess how it might play out.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

Due to my visual impairment, I prefer large screen. 7-10" screen size is a good size for me as long as the text is legible.

But as a "remote controller," I really don't prefer iPhone, because I do like customization, so that's when Windows Mobile 6.1 with support for Silverlight/Windows Presentation Foundation comes in.

 

[az1324]

For those interested, refurb touches for $199 @ http://store.apple.com/us/product/FA623LL/B

 

[sic0048]

I have several Nokia internet tablets that I use as a wireless touchscreen in my set up. These would be similar to an iPod unit (except with a slightly larger screen and more customizations available). As much as I like them, they are not really practical in many settings. So here is my 2cents based on my use of the Nokia already.

#1 - the screen is just too small - even with the Nokia. It certainly isn't as convienent as a hard button remote for general TV useage, etc. It is nice to use to pick CDs or movies, etc. using the full featured touchscreen, but then having a hard button remote is very nice to change the volume, channels, etc. I think you really need a 7-8" screen to be effective as a primary interface as well.

#2 - Power consumption and docking stations - the Nokia's don't have a docking station which is a real bitch. You have to remember to plug it in so it isn't dead the next time someone uses it. The iPod would probably be better in this category because of all the accessories available. But I'm not sure if anyone sells a power only dock, most are docking stations. So you'll end up paying for a full docking station when you just want an easy way to get power to the iPod.

#3 - Noise - the Nokia and iPod run silently which is a real plus. I just bought another UMPC and while it is really nice with a large screen and docking station, it has a fan which is noticable. Not a great solution IMHO.

#4 - Price - both can be had for around $200 which is a pretty good price. I'd love to see prices drop more, but that isn't a bad price for a wireless touchscreen IMHO.

But I think the perfect touchscreen is going to have a 7-8" touchscreen, be wireless for easy use and have a docking station to get power, and be 100% silent. I think there are solutions out there like this, but they have the 2k price tags on them. So until prices drop considerably, I'll have to live with less than perfect solutions.

 

[tmbrown97]

I guess that's where I differ. I can't see the TV across the room too well (without contacts), but I can see up close really well. Of course, on the iPod, the issue isn't as much seeing as it is having buttons big enough to touch effectively. Personally, I love the idea of it being so small! I don't want big ol' touchscreens all over the house - I don't even want one on the end table. I'm all for 2-3 wallmount ones in key areas, but I still prefer normal switches for tactile feel and direct control - with the ability to have a handheld control center when you're settled in watching TV and want a quick adjustment of the HVAC... I'd grab the little iPod off the coffee table and adjust it - and while I'm there, turn off the hall lights that are too bright.

Then again, I apsolutely despise the Harmony remotes - I don't like scene control - I want direct access to as much as possible... so I'm sure I'm not quite the norm. But, when using an interface, I want it to be as quick as humanly possible. BTW, yesterday I discovered the free Apple Remote app available for download to control iTunes - and I couldn't be more excited... I get full playlist control of my Media PC which feeds the Livingroom stereo and/or the outdoor speakers - so if I'm hangin' outside with a beer by the pool, I can choose my music quickly and efficiently. I just want to be able to accomplish my tasks as quick as humanly possible.

 

[IVB]

-->QUOTE(Todd B @ Jul 18 2008, 05:32 PM) [post="92565"][/post]
I just want to be able to accomplish my tasks as quick as humanly possible.[/quote]

And that's exactly why I hated my iPAQ for music control. I have 300 CDs, no matter what grouping/filtering mechanism you use, you're still stuck with 4-6 CDs visible on any given screen (unless you make them *damn* tiny). Picking from a small list like that isn't how I roll, I need to see 10-15 at least at once, and not in tiny font either.

The scroll wheel on the iPod isn't bad, but scrolling through 300 CDs or 200 artists in text format isn't my idea of a good time either. Fortunately on BART, it's not that big an issue, but god knows I wouldn't want to build up a playlist that way.

 

[tmbrown97]

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, check out the remote app - it's free and quite usable for choosing music remotely (I've tried a lot of apps, and I'm never happy with the selection methods)... I have a 20,000 song mp3 library, so not many apps handle it well.

But, not why I came back... Check out http://www.ilovecontrol.com - I just stumbled across it - not a whole lot of info yet, but screenshots look pretty interesting - I'd certainly like to see more - especially if it could do all that with an Elk in control!

 

[az1324]

-->QUOTE(Todd B @ Jul 18 2008, 10:26 PM) [post="92569"][/post]
Check out http://www.ilovecontrol.com[/quote]

"The charge for creating the custom configuration file is $250."

fail

 

[jharrell]

I use my iPhone as a touchscreen to my HAI Omni now with a slightly modified version of WebLink 2. I am still considering a centrally located touchscreen but there almost seems to be no point after using my iPhone for this purpose. The phone is almost always on me or near me anyway, especially when leaving or arriving home or on my nightstand, so I find it easier to simply use it to arm and disarm, open garage than the keypad, as once I get in my drivway the Wifi connects and I can access the house. It so easy my significant other prefers using her iPhone to arm/disarm rather than the keypad and just carries her iPhone with her on walks instead of keys to get back in through the garage! It has a good web browser and now with third party apps it really seems like a killer HA remote.

Once WL3 comes out from HAI it will probably make it pointless to have a touch screen, just keep my keypad as fallback, and at $199 the Touch is a perfect and cheap extra WiFi remote for my house if I should need one. They also seem to be almost exactly the size of a single gang, would be neat to place them in every room in place of a switch .

 

[tmbrown97]

"The charge for creating the custom configuration file is $250."

fail

I hadn't seen that - they have source available for the programmer types... I wasn't suggesting it as a viable solution yet, but thought it was a cool example of what may come... The interface seems decently usable.

I really prefer the flexibility of apps designed specifically for the iPhone rather than web-apps made to fit - makes the whole user-experience much better.

 

[CollinR]

I agree with IVB the screen is too small.

However I also see it as a damn cool possiblity with good bang:buck.


I use the TV (or PC in kitchen and laptop for anywhere, even while traveling) via SageTV, if I can't see it on the TV (decent vision) I try to get a bigger TV.

It is rare that I use the http interfaces directly when I do it's because someone is playing the Wii in the living area and I am already browsing the web on the laptop. Otherwise I would PiP to sage and do whatever I wanted.

I use scene control more then device control, however now that I have device control I do use that too.


I would definately consider an iTouch as a remote control, and I think it should handle http with a decent enough presentation. It's definately something I would consider the next time I kill one of my current remotes. Further people are paying as much for some of these universal remotes as the damn thing costs.

 

[sic0048]

Further people are paying as much for some of these universal remotes as the damn thing costs.

Oh - some of those touchscreen universal remotes approach $1000. So this type of solution is much less expensive than that. Even the remotes with a smaller touchscreen (to try and compare equal products) cost more than the iPod Touch.

 

[AnthonyZ]

I'm not sure if it will, but the one thing it points out is the need for a fair sized touchscreen device that we can run our HA interfaces on, so far there are none reasonably priced. Honestly I love the look and size of a number of Crestron units, they are wired, wireless, docking, etc, they seem to have it all, but they are the only one (outside of AMX and Control4)

I'm interested in the new panel HAI has, I've heard it may have the ability to run other apps, if so that would be cool.

Don't get out much, huh? There are only about 7.5 billion other control vendors to choose from and they come in at any number of pricepoints.

As for my $.02 on the matter at hand, I like the iPhone and iTouch and wouldn't be averse to running a couple in the house with some degree of customization (in other words, as usual, I DO NOT want to be stuck with HAI's abortion of a UI) but I would never be able to live with it as a primary interface. In my own home, I run a wireless 8", in wall 15" and 2 in wall 8" panels. We're in about 2000 sq.ft. and even with four touch screens (and HAI's MCE interface on the TV for occasional use), I get sick to death of meandering throughout the place to skip a song, unlock my truck or fire off a zone of irrigation. So, having an interface in my pajama pocket is interesting.

 

[jharrell]

I agree, I am not a big fan of the HAI UI although WL3 looks very promising:


There is also an native HAI iPhone app from digitaldan.com that looks good but hasn't been updated in some time, hope he keeps working on it and perhaps puts it on the app store: