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Kitchen Internet Kiosk?

Posted by Cliff on from the ode-to-the-Aubrey dept.

ZeLonewolf asks: "My parents are remodeling and greatly expanding their kitchen, and my mom would like to add a kitchen internet kiosk that would allow her to look up recipes online and watch TV. Since this is a kitchen, the display and input devices should be appropriate for a kitchen environment, i.e. resistant to dust and moisture. To eliminate the need for a mouse I priced out a touch-screen monitor for $600. The keyboard would need to be sealed, something like ThinkGeek's roll-up keyboard. I haven't been able to find pre-made kiosks for this purpose. Four years ago, the Audrey internet appliance would have been perfect for this sort of thing. Is there anything modern that comes close?"

8 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Computer vs. TV by billh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It would be better to seperate the TV and the computer. You will waste time and money trying to get them into one device. Get a cheap TV and wall mount it. Get a cheap computer (or laptop) and put it wherever. Maybe a toughbook?

    I'd like all of my data to be on one screen, too. It is just cheaper (and faster) to have more than one. If you can afford to put it on one, you wouldn't need this post on /.

  2. Re:Toaster computer by supersuckers · · Score: 2, Insightful

    2 things...
    1. doesn't look like he's going to be slashdotted
    2. here is a coral cache http://mywebpages.comcast.net.nyud.net:8090/adamb2 9/project_page_1.htm

  3. Get a mouse anyway... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...and use a Mac Mini. Seriously.

  4. What a MARVELOUS excuse to buy a Mac Mini by white1827 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This sounds like a job for the Mac Mini!

    1. Re:What a MARVELOUS excuse to buy a Mac Mini by agraupe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How is this a troll? As far as I can tell, this would be a perfect role for the mac mini. Pair it with a touchscreen (or mouse and flatscreen monitor... I'm not sure there'd be much of a price difference) and you've got a relatively cheap, unobtrusive solution. I think this is sort of what the Mac Mini was supposed to do: make a cheap, unobtrusive, everyday sort of computer.

  5. No to expensive sealed keyboards. by Murphy+Murph · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Two things.
    1 - Keyboards are cheap. Very cheap. There are many sub $20 keyboards out there that have better feel than any of the fancy "sealed" ones I have ever used.

    2 - Standard keyboards are amazingly hard to kill.

    --
    I dub thee... Sir Phobos, Knight of Mars, Beater of Ass.
  6. A Mac mini might be nice for this by jht · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You can go with a touchscreen and a waterproof USB keyboard, stash the mouse to the side for when you need it, and strap a mini under the cupboard. It'll fit nicely and pretty darn unobtrusively assuming the cabinets are deep enough to mount lights underneath.

    You can mount the touchscreen alongside, on a swing mount that can let them stow it underneath the cupboard when not using the computer. I saw something similar done last week with a TV on This Old House.

    --
    -- Josh Turiel
    "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
  7. An iCEBOX for the kitchen by tverbeek · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's a bit pricey, it's based on WinCE, and it's on its fourth or fifth "focus shift", redesign, and/or corporate parent since I first found it years ago (researching alternatives to WebTV), but the iCEBOX may be the last remaining "internet appliance" on the market.

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/