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PlayStation Touch Screen for Your Linux Box

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the fun-with-hardware-hacking dept.

hebertrich writes to tell us that IBM DeveloperWorks has an interesting article about how to modify a PlayStation LCD for use as a touch screen panel for your Linux box. From the article: "Historically, the lack of friendly interfaces has been an obstacle to making Linux® a commercially viable product for end users, but with available GUIs, that's yesterday's news. What's the next step in creating an easy-to-use Linux-based product for consumers? Imagine adding a user-oriented LCD touchscreen. A touchscreen facade can make back-end Linux applications very usable in such devices as custom digital media centers (either in the home or in automobiles), DVRs and PVRs, and even control interfaces for household robots."

4 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Obstacle to making Linux commercially viable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If lack of a touchscreen was holding linux back, a procedure that requires cracking something else open, cabling and soldering will not be winning you new converts or my grandmother.

    1. Re:Obstacle to making Linux commercially viable by plantman-the-womb-st · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Things like this were best summed up by Rasterman (author of enlightenment) when he was asked if he felt linux would be "ready for the desktop". He said something to the effect of, "No, the desktop battle is over, linux didn't win. Don't waste your time trying to fight the desktop battle. Instead, put linux on people's cell phones, their toasters, on their PDAs. The future is in embedded systems. That's where linux can win." He's right. I think IBM understands this too. What things like this article do is, instead of helping a company sell something, they help a developer build something. That developer can then take a working prototype to potential investors without having to go to the trouble of finding parts distributor's and whatnot before testing their idea. They can just buy a PS1 at a junk store and strip it for parts. Once the investors give them an investment, thanks to the help of the working prototype, they can drop the big cash on custom components if need be and even buy in bulk.

      So yes, this is a huge help. Developers don't just write office software after all.

      --
      Say bad words about my book, in cold oatmeal, or I shall sue!
  2. So what do you do at IBM? by kyoko21 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I write articles such as the one mentioned above. I get payed to think and work on things that are eventually free.

    Man, what a job.

  3. Think of the possibilities by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nethack Touch Screen Edition, you could... finger finger, finger bash, finger fsck... you get the point.