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Ask Slashdot: All-In-One PC For Kitchen?
New submitter brabq writes "Now that I have a couple of CableCard tuner devices in the house (including the network-based HDHomeRun Prime), I'm thinking of buying one of those all-in-one touchscreen PCs for our kitchen (yeah, something I've always sworn against for future repair reasons). The idea is that it would be used primarily for (1) watching TV, via the aforementioned Prime and WMC, and (2) light web surfing (recipes, some sort of video chat possibly). Does anyone have any experience with these types of devices in a kitchen-like setting (where I'd like to use a touchscreen over having a keyboard/mouse on a kitchen counter)? I keep hearing that Windows 8 is going to have some added benefits to this type of setup — is it worth waiting for its release? My end goal is it has to have a high WAF ... if my wife doesn't like its appearance on the counter or finds it useless, then the whole thing will be a waste."
But just buy a fucking iPad.
TODO: Something witty here...
Just buy an iPad. I understand the tendency of us geeks to over engineer everything but honestly as much as I don't like apple, after having one I use my laptop strictly for working from home. I have Netflix and YouTube for video and it's touchscreen like your asking for. Plus you say if your wife doesn't like the appearance then it's all a waste so why not just get a small 10" screen that you can easily take anywhere?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kitchen_computer_ad.jpg
There's a kitchen model (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeywell_316#Kitchen_Computer) with integrated cutting board.
I'd vote for an HP TouchSmart 610 myself, since it comes with a TV tuner and a remote controller. It also has a built-in Blu-Ray player and comes with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse along with a touchscreen. I'd think that I would fit into a kitchen fairly well.
The only downsides I see is that TouchSmart's aren't cheap, and they do not have official Linux support. That said, I see them on sale all the time.
An iPad is the elegant solution. You could even get creative and route out a place for one in a cabinet door so it was at eye level then use the adapter to keep it plugged in so you'd never have to charge it. They are instant on and if you have wifi set up you can download movies and music. Add in some bluetooth speakers and you get decent sound. Honestly you'll spend a nearly a grand getting a set up that will be bulky and take up counter space. Yes there are cheapie computers but they are large. I'm talking a nice machine that has a small foot print. I used to use Shuttle boxes which are around the size of a toaster but it's a build it yourself. Then you end up with a monitor and cords and it's not very portable. You even get Facetime with an iPad so you can do video calling. It's $500 bucks and you avoid a lot of grief and expense. If you leave it plugged in the battery life isn't an issue so it could easily last you five years with no maintenance.
Here ya GO. Be sure and pick a spot where you can get at the reset button.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
We have an HP TouchSmart PC in the kitchen, where the microwave used to be. No cable, just ethernet & it's used primarily for seaching for recipes. Can't user her iPad, as the grandkids commandeer that when we get home! It's also good for measurement conversion, Calorie counts, Product warnings/recalls, etc. There's a wireless mouse/keyboard & it's stayed clear of the flour/sugar problem we likely would have had by having it up higher than the countertop. With our own PC's elsewhere in the house - it's convenient just for what it was purchased for. If you want it to be static - get a PC, if you wish to have portability, then a tablet. Depends upon your expected usage & whether you're already WiFi or not.
an option is to buy a standalone touchscreen, it's readily available but very expensive. you can hook up anything to it.
in particular, many nettops or mini computers can be screwed on the back plate through VESA mounts so you can use an ARM net top, an Atom PC, something like the zotac zbox with an AMD E-350, etc. You get to keep the OS choice and double boot if necessary ; just make sure, if you want to try a linux based solution, to get hardware with usable graphics drivers for linux (dunno if atom is better than AMD there)
the touch screen is horribly expensive but you get a total cost similar to an All-in-one. and yes, windows 8 ARM or PC is the best solution, or using XP or 7 in the interim. or android is similar. it has an important checkbox, "can fucking use all functions included in the hardware". sent from my PC with permanently idle H264 decoder and 3D accelerator.
I have a tablet, namely an iPad, which I use in the kitchen on occasion. I would recommend a few apps for that: The All Recipes app; the Epicurious app; the Food Guru app. I'm sure that there must be apps about wine selection, and maybe even about beer, too.
For browsing, I'd recommend iCab. Atomic Web Browser is another good one. (iCab, as one of its many features, can synch its bookmarks with Dropbox, which I don't know if Atomic can, as of yet.) Either of those offers some more features than the conventional Safari mobile browser, in a pretty reliable browser platform. (App crashes seem like less of a concern, on the tablet platform, I think)
You can also take it outdoors with you - weather permitting, of course. There's pUniverseHD for iPad, when it comes to stargazing after dinner ;)
As far as TV, then, there's Netflix on iPad - it's close enough for my tastes ;) If you're into sports - Olympic sports, namely - Universal Sports has also put together an app for the 2012 Olympics kicking off in July. In the more "mainstream sports", and for existing cable subscribes - as I recall - there are apps from ESPN, also. Then there's RedBull TV, for the extremophiles in the family. If you're an existing cable subscriber, there are apps from HBO and I think from Cinemax, as well.
Lastly: For hanging it from the kitchen counter, Belkin makes a nice little temporary mounting bracket, and I'm sure there are more permanent options available. The major technology retailer, BestBuy, carries the Belkin bracket, in their iPad section.
Entertainment and utility abound on the well supported mobile platforms, these days - enjoy!
1: your wife will eventually find it useless.
2: the amount of smoke and grease in the air will eventually destroy though maybe not before #1 (even though you may not see smoke or grease it's there)
3: Why? Just get a $399 iPad or even better Kindle Fire, because you don't really need much in the kitchen correctly? Not like you're playing WoW while putting cheese sauce on your cheesecake.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Forget the software, just make sure the hardware is waterproof. I remember hearing of at least one recently. Pretty much any tablet on the planet will be able to handle the meagre demands you're putting on it, and if it's Linux or at least non-Apple you'll be able to fine-tune it's behaviour. On the other hand the kitchen is probably one of the messiest rooms in the house, any regularly used surface/tool/etc that can't be easily cleaned will rapidly become either a pain in the ass or a disgusting mess, especially if it's something you'll inevitably want to touch with messy hands while in the middle of cooking. The ability to just wipe it down with a damp/soapy rag instead of carefully using special cleaners will make a world of difference.
Also - you probably want to consider a strategically placed mounting bracket - counter space is valuable real estate. I might consider something that folds down from under a cabinet somewhere and has power wired to it so you never have to worry about recharging. The refrigerator door is another likely candidate. Also pay attention to where she spends most of here time while in the kitchen. At the stove? Sink? Counter? Ideal placement will allow convenient video chatting or recipe access while working at her preferred station. Don't get too close to the stove though - hot oil vapors condense on all nearby surfaces and can be a real challenge to clean.
Just keep in mind that you're looking to install an appliance in an extremely electronic-hostile environment, not a gadget. The fundamental design trade-offs you want to make are very different.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
I used to get excited for every single tech gadget out there, and would run to Amazon or the next shop to get it ASAP.
Maybe I'm getting old or maybe I'm becoming more and more environmentally-conscious, but the bottom line is :
You don't need it.
Nobody needs an All-in-one PC in the kitchen, nobody needs a web-enabled washing machine, nobody needs a beta firmware on its dishwasher, and nobody needs an LCD display on the fridge.
Those stuff just get obsolete after 2 years, and become "broken" even though their main utility would still work perfectly fine without the added useless complexity.
I expect my fridge, my dishwasher and my washing machine to still work in 10 years.
Your gadget will wind up in the dump in a few years.
What we need are networked sensors.
The stove doesn't need a computer. It needs to communicate with the everything else and possibly have servos so that it can be controlled remotely.
If every appliance could communicate with a centralized system we could do some pretty neat things.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
Some cheap ones from China
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
That's what we did. Got a 21" wall mount monitor, above the fray, attached a bluetooth keyboard/mousepad combo ($25 off ebay) and youi're golden. A couple of speakers and you can do whatever you want. And best of all the only thing that can get trashed is the keyboard; you can keep spares in your drawer if you really want.
And yes we do use it as music background and to stream internet radio of all sorts.
Been there, done that, with a $250 Ergotron arm. Ipad wins hands down.
Good-bye
1. Download and install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview;
2. Realize that the Windows 8 Metro UI is the worst product Microsoft has ever made - worse than Bob or Clippy;
3. PROFIT from your new-found experience.
4. SELL Windows 8 product to unsuspecting eBay victim.
5. BUY an iPad or an Android tablet.
6. ASK wife if you can start sleeping in the bed again.
#DeleteChrome
Came across this looking for 12" Adnroid tablets for a project we're working on: http://www.ectworks.com/en/product1.asp?id=3
It even has a built-in stand. Here's a pic of the unit: http://www.ectworks.com/upfile/201061151416.jpg
"If you are going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill
I'm surprised by the number of people suggesting mounting an iPad or similar tablet. Yes, this does make a lot of sense. It makes even more sense to have a mount where you can put the iPad while you're cooking, then take it with you when you're done--this is ideal if you want to have an iPad anyway.
The problem is that you can't currently watch HD channels on an iPad. There is an app for $18 that will let you watch SD channels, but apparently the processor in the iPad can't do HD MPEG-2, or at least the writers of the app in question haven't figured out how to do it.
So with TV being the primary function, you need something that can handle TV.
Another issue is how your cable company sends the channels. Are all the channels you care about set to copy freely? If not, then you can only use solutions that are Cable Labs certified (that probably rules out any tablet apps or Linux solution).
Now, having said all that, I think I need to find a mount for our iPad to put on a cabinet in the kitchen.
I'd put an old TV and an old laptop in there. Maybe cover the keyboard with a plastic bag or even clingfilm.
That way when - not if - the grease, heat & steam cause them to fail it's no great loss.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."