Ask Slashdot: All-In-One PC For Kitchen? 156
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."
I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Informative)
But just buy a fucking iPad.
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Insightful)
No question. I don't even like really like ipads or tablets in general but this is the right answer. A little bracket to mount it on the wall and you're done.
A decent android tablet would fill the bill nicely, too.
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Informative)
You can buy magnetic iPad mounts so that you can stick it to your fridge (e.g.FridgePad [woodforddesign.com]; I'm sure there are other options). You can also buy protective coverings or sleeves that still let you operate the touchscreen (e.g. Chef Sleeve [chefsleeve.com]), though in practice we've found that it's not really a problem (a touschscreen is pretty easy to wipe clean).
Re: (Score:3)
Why not consider using an iMac
You already gave the answer: MESSY.
An Imac configured to use voice commands STILL needs a mouse and an Keyboard. Milk in the keyboard is no fun.
Its way easier to whip a tablet down than it its to clean a keyboard. And the Tablet does voice commands too, and video calls, an TV, and every other thing you would need done in the kitchen, including bar code scanning the packaging you are about to toss in the trash to add that item back onto your grocery list.
Re: (Score:1)
"Its way easier to whip a tablet"
iPad shouldn't be whipped, they should be blended
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl28d6tbko
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously, this is how you should do it:
*take an old laptop with a dead
Re: (Score:2)
I am quite staggered that anyone would recommend a blackberry tablet for anything.
If it is for the price, get a hp touchpad on ebay.
Re: (Score:3)
The HD Homerun Prime tuner he's using (indeed, any cablecard tuner) needs to either run Windows or iOS, There is no OSX option that will work. And in fact, there are advantages of using Windows over iOS (PVR functionality).
He could install Windows 7 on an iMac, I guess, but unless you're married to the style of the iMac, I don't see why.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Yeah...stationary computers are yesterday. Get a "fucking" iPad, or some nice android tablet like the transformer prime, and a nice stand for it. Hell...over engineer and enclosure for it if you need carpentry geek kicks.
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Funny)
But just buy a fucking iPad.
The Honeywell 316 [wikipedia.org] is a much better choice, it was build as if the OP's needs were its specs.
Re: (Score:2)
Reading or entering these recipes would have been very difficult for the average cook, since the user interface required the person to take a two-week course to learn to program the device, using only toggle-switch input and binary light output.
Hey, I didn't know they were able to run a Unity-like interface back in the days.
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:5, Informative)
If you're a cheapskate like me, I'd recommend the ~$300 ViewSonic G-Tablet running VeganTab (based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread).
Overclocks to 1.4Ghz, and breezes through Netflix, YouTube, even random websites with Adobe Flash videos. I like WinAmp for streaming radio. It has built-in stereo speakers, but for the kitchen you'll probably want to plug it in to bigger speakers. It also has a USB jack so you can plug in a real keyboard for whatever reason.
Plus, these tablet things probably wipe down cleaner than whatever All-in-one PC you might find.
There's also a pretty good Android 4 ICS port done by TeamDRH [teamdrh.com] which is in beta right now, but VegaTab still works better/faster/more stable at the moment. Multitasking is a bit nicer, but the memory footprint is too high for the G-Tablet to multitask well.
Re:I know you don't want to here this... (Score:4, Interesting)
Acer A200. Should be able to get a better price, its a solid device and in the box with Android 3.1 with Acer provided 4.0 updates. This is the machine that finally convinced me to drop money on a tablet. The right machine at the right price.
Re: (Score:2)
Ooh, cool, 1GB of RAM (vs. 512MB in the G-Tablet) for an extra $20 sounds good... I bet it has a better screen as well. I'll try it out the next time I need a tablet device... someday...
Re: (Score:3)
It's useless for the OP's needs, though. He wants to work with the HDHomerun Prime. His options are Windows or iOS. And if he wants PVR functionality, his options are Windows or Windows.
I like Android as much as the next guy, but if you want cablecard, there's no other choice.
Re: (Score:2)
Hmm, well, he's doing it wrong, I guess :-D What is this TV thing anyway? Can't you just stream video from a samba share created and maintained by a central PVR somewhere?
Actually, our internet went out last week and we had nothing left but basic cable for a brief while. *shudder*
Re: (Score:2)
Cablecard let's you decrypt the same signal that your cablebox does, without relying on any kind of analog hole. It's a pure digital stream without cableboxes.
There are other ways of doing it, sure. But if you want the full signal quality, it's the only legal and only practical game in town.
Some cableboxes will let you pipe out a firewire stream, but then you're renting a box (or several) and tools that handle it aren't as mature and reliable as just letting Windows Media Center manage a cablecard tuner.
Re: (Score:2)
I have a GTab (purchased about a year ago for $280...they're still that expensive??) and I love it. Yes, it can be just a tiny bit slow at times, but it works great like 99% of the time. Primarily used by my 4 year old as his "computer", great for playing games, watching movies (copied-over avis, youtube, netflix), etc.
I've run both VeganTab and The DRH ICS, and I must say I like the latter better. I had some issues with VeganTab locking up and random reboots, and DRH ICS seems to have fixed that.
DRH ICS
Yeah go with a tablet - iPad is a good choice (Score:4, Informative)
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!
Re:Yeah go with a tablet - iPad is a good choice (Score:4, Insightful)
If if is going to be permanently in one location, than a goofy little partly functional device makes no sense at all.
You are really looking at something more along these lines http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Reviews/Home_Office/G3X2A9D4 [smarthouse.com.au].
So an all in one computer mounted to say a cabinet door with a slide out and tilt forward keyboard mounted underneath that cabinet, mains powered.
If you can afford to spend more, why stuff about with a dinky little toy. Here's another http://www.pcworld.com/article/185061/windows_7_allinone_pcs_big_touchscreens_for_all_budgets.html [pcworld.com]. Basically what they are looking at, is what ever is left in the all in one PC with touch screen market, with a 20 inch or bigger screen.
Re: (Score:3)
Pretty much anything lacking in the single most important item, screen real estate. The other things handy, dvd player, hdisk dsik drive for mass data storage, high powered cpu and a ton of ram for real multi-tasking, remote controls and, mains power lead.
Locating it is really driven by kitchen design, fridge door unlikely to be the best spot. So viewable form eating area, yet accessible at main food preparation area, definitely never want it on the counter or table top. Likely the best in reality might
Waterproof (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
But just buy a fucking iPad.
This is perfectly right. Ever since my sister bought an iPad, she uses it for everything - e-mail, games, recipes,... Only thing she doesn't do is watch TV while cooking. She for all practical purposes gave up her laptop ever since she bought the iPad.
If your wife doesn't like it, it won't be a complete waste - you too can use it instead. In my case, both my sister and my wife love their iPads. No point waiting for Windows 8, which can be hit or miss.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
There's an "HD HomeRun" service which purports to work with "HD HomeRun Prime" - so I presume he doesn't need a cablecard, but can simply connect his iPad over wifi to a cable-carded device. (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hdhomerun/id444454129?mt=8)
Hulu+ has an app for the iPad, I can't speak for whether or not it works well, as I've never used it, but it's available;
Netflix works *great* on an iPad, I can speak to that, I use it frequently when traveling.
Youtube works fine.
Many cable providers also will
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The HDHomerun Prime is a really neat tuner that is PC free. You just plug your cablecard into it, attach coax, and attach ethernet to get it on your network.
Once it's there, Windows 7 (and possibly Vista, not sure) will see it as a cablecard tuner (three cablecard tuner, in fact).
There's an iOS app as well, though all you can do is watch live TV with it, you loose the PVR functions you'd get with a Windows Media Center PC. Though you'd still have whatever other apps you want (Netflix, etc.).
Mod Parent Up Please - Baggies FTW (Score:2)
Yup. iPod in a baggie. And some kind of wall mount for it. If you decide you don't like it, you'll now have an iPod instead of a useless appliance.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
But does iPad have support for multi-process usage methods? Chatting and browsing at the same time next to each other? Better yet, has anyone put Linux on an iPad yet with full support for general PC work?
Re-read the original article. He's looking for a touchscreen device to use in the kitchen that can do basic web surfing and TV streaming. He isn't looking for a general-purpose PC, which he presumably already has as his main workstation.
Re: (Score:2)
Does general-purpose mean it does everything except basic web surfing and TV streaming?
Duh iPad... (Score:2, Insightful)
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?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Read the OP - the Cablecard tuner he wants to work will only work with Windows or iOS. There is no Android support for any cablecard device.
Really, Windows is the right answer here, it's just a question of what hardware he prefers. Even using iOS is a half-measure, there's no PVR support there.
wife uses iPad (Score:2)
My wife uses an iPad for that all the time. She finds the iPad satisfactory for this purpose.
Mostly, she uses it for music and recipes.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Then I recommend using a TV for TV.
Old school (Score:3, Interesting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kitchen_computer_ad.jpg
some restaurant / fast food places have covers on (Score:2)
some restaurant / fast food places have covers on the screens to try to keep them clean.
Honeywell H316 (Score:2, Funny)
There's a kitchen model (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeywell_316#Kitchen_Computer) with integrated cutting board.
HP TouchSmart 610 (Score:5, Informative)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Greetings and Salutations;
This is my thought too. With a 23" screen, it would be easy to read throughout the kitchen, and, it does have outputs that could go to a larger LCD tv mounted near it. It would mount on the wall nicely, and, having used one for a little bit, I find that the on-screen keyboard is not good for touch-typing, but, works ok for light data entry. (URLS, Google searches, etc).
I think that concerns a
Re: (Score:2)
not all touchsmart 610's have blue-ray. Maybe all recient models do but mine does not
also mine has no video output. I have to use an external usb adapter to drive a second monitor
Re: (Score:2)
They are cheap if you go refurb.
Cheetahdeals has Gateways and Dells cheap.
Specs on the cheapest one($400) completely blow away any tablet.
The Gateway One ZX4951-33e Refurbished All-In-One PC's 21.5" Full HD display saves space, is easy to use and is perfect for any room in your home providing interactive computing, enhanced media sharing with social networks and stunning HD entertainment.
Intel Core i3-550 3.20GHz
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Re: (Score:2)
From the summary (emphasis added):
dude! it's about the kitchen ;)
Big Ass PC More Useful (Score:1)
Hate to agree with everyone else (Score:5, Interesting)
Instructables to the rescue! (Score:5, Informative)
Got a Touchscreen PC for the kitchen 3-4 yrs ago (Score:5, Informative)
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.
buy a separate touchscreen (Score:3)
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.
Laptop (Score:2)
Touchscreen is kinda nice for tablets when you're moving around, but on the kitchen counter a laptop works great. I've had one there for a while. I would definitely go for something small and light (easy to get out of the way) like a laptop or tablet instead of an all-in-one.
Easy answer for Windows 8 (Score:1)
1. Download and install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview [microsoft.com];
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.
Re:Easy answer for Windows 8 (Score:5, Funny)
1. Download and install the Windows 8 Consumer Preview [microsoft.com];
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.
Raspberry Pi attached under a cabinet. (Score:2)
She's less likely to balk at something like that.
The trick will be attaching a monitor and kb in some fold-out arrangement.
Re: (Score:1)
Nah. The real trick will be getting a Raspberry Pi.
But if he could actually get one, by the time the keyboard/monitor/mouse added, fold-out arrangement fabricated, time spent getting it all to work, he could've saved money buying a cheap tablet.
Re: (Score:2)
The real trick will be getting a Raspberry Pi.
he could've saved money buying a cheap tablet.
But then if his wife decides she doesn't like a computer in the kitchen, then he's left with generic parts and a Raspberry Pi (all imminently reusable for some other project) instead of an extra tablet.
A few things (Score:2)
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.
Microsoft has you covered (Score:2)
This sounds like the perfect application for a big ass table! [youtube.com]
iPad (Score:1)
Sorry, but I have to say I use an iPad for recipes and (if I wanted to) TV in the kitchen. Works great, no hassles.
No PC. (Score:2)
iPad and under cabinet mount/holder. You can watch HD home run channels and do everything else you need in a smaller and cheaper device that can also act as a tablet.
An IBM POS (Score:1)
dell optiplex9010 (Score:1)
Dell is releasing an all-in-one touch screen this fall...its going to have replacable parts, screen, motherboard, drives, etc... seviceable like a laptop is.
HP Z1 easy to repair: photo teardown (Score:1)
Maybe I'm getting old (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:Maybe I'm getting old (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
I've had a Mac Mini with a touch screen in my kitchen for 5 years. It acts as a media server for the whole house, shows recipes and email and lets us watch tv shows on iTunes, Netflix or Hulu while we cook. It's totally obsolete - I can't even upgrade the OS anymore - but we don't use it for anything except that "main utility".
I expect your expectations are wrong.
Re:Maybe I'm getting old (Score:5, Insightful)
Nobody needs an All-in-one PC in the kitchen
Nobody needs a computer at all unless you use it to make money and by extension keep yourself alive and nourished.
A lot of people WANT an All-in-one PC in the kitchen. Control music, watch TV, keep track of shopping lists, read recipes, skype with a friend while cooking. I do all of these things in the kitchen. Currently I use various forms of getting up and going to some piece of technology, holding onto a phone, writing on bits of paper, and my personal favourite, going to the computer in the study to print a recipe I found on the internet.
Obsolete? You obviously don't understand the purpose of an appliance. This isn't something that needs to be perpetually upgraded. My shopping list won't be in 3D requiring DX10 or better to run in a few years. Skype may improve, but unless FTTH becomes the norm I think that'll take longer than 2 years at which point the device will still be capable of running it.
You have no imagination and I'm glad that there's not more people like you or those who modded you insightful otherwise we'd never have a computer to begin with (which at the time was thought as something that was useless and no-body needed it).
Thanks for the comments so far, but ... (Score:1)
... maybe I should have specified as to what the HD Homerun Prime (and any CableCard device) does, and why an iPad is not a solution. It tunes cable TV channels, and - unfortunately - the only OS/application combo that can display it is Windows Media Center in Windows 7 (+) ... thanks to all of the copy flags and encryption that our cable companies pump into the stream. Meaning, you cannot use any Mac, Linux, or other solution to watch TV on it, but you can Windows.
Also, I appreciate some of the comments
Re: (Score:3)
We already have a computer (Score:3)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
I guess there's nothing to stop you installing commercial equipment at home, apart from the fact that it costs 3 times as much.
Re: (Score:2)
in a day and age when a raspberry pi costs 35 dollars I don't see why some cheap networked sensors can't be installed.
Ask her first. (Score:2)
Searching for recipes and surfing the web? I guarantee that printing something off from a PC that she can actually relax at is going to be more appealing.
Television? It really sounds like you're trying to justify the cost of getting the rest of your house wired up. How much time doe
A monitor and a bluetooth keyboard (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Media consumption (Score:2)
Smart Housewife info terminal (Score:3)
It even has a built-in stand. Here's a pic of the unit: http://www.ectworks.com/upfile/201061151416.jpg [ectworks.com]
Not iPad -- no HD channels with Cable Card (Score:5, Informative)
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.
iPad In The Kitchen (Score:2)
While an HP TouchSmart might best meet the needs of the OP, one should not underestimate the utility of an iPad in a kitchen setting - it has a versatility not found in any All-In-One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcIwXVKQjsQ [youtube.com]
Forget the iPad (Score:2)
The first spill and your out $600, go for a Pantech Element and get something cheaper and more durable.
Chumby (Score:1)
In the kitchen, get a stylus (Score:1)
Big tablet with dishwasher-safe stylus (Score:2)
I recommend a big tablet with a dishwasher-safe stylus.
The Belkin Kitchen Stand and Wand for Tablets is perfectly suited to this task, especially if your hands get yucky.
The big Vizio, Samsung Galaxy, and iPad fit right in.
Find it on AMZN and elsewhere. The Chef Sleeve for iPad is also helpful for following recipes.
built-in in apartment complexes (Score:2)
I helped develop several affordable apartment complexes that have a kitchen unit as you describe. I managed one of the buildings (36 units) and observed how the computers were used.
The residents qualified for living there based on their low income. There were no college grads. Some were too poor or ignorant to buy a proper computer.
Of the 36 units, about 10 used their computers, and that quite rarely (mostly the young children). I used mine sometimes to stream videos or music during extended kitchen stays.
Re: (Score:2)
For example, assume you have a computer with no OS. It does pretty much nothing.
Install an OS and Office, suddenly you can write a letter.
Add internet access and you can email.
Add a NAS with movie / music / picture / recipie shares along with a couple more machines to access those shares and suddenly the family can't live without it.
This stuff all works together (I'm afraid to use a word like "synergistically" on
Old laptop (Score:2)
My kitchen PC (Score:2)
is one of these - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Compaq_TC1100 [wikipedia.org]
Has Wi-Fi, bluetooth, USB 2.0 and is very low-profile. Picked it up for $75
Alright, thanks for the input ... (Score:1)
I'd like to do this as well. (Score:2)
With the price of tablets really dropping, I don't see any reason we couldn't create the that kind of device.
What I'd like to have in terms of functionality:
Wall mounted unit with a video camera
voice activated
video calling via skype
recipes accessible via voice (no mucky hands on the machine)
weather
defaults to a picture frame type slide show when not in use
remotely accessible for installing pictures and administering the unit
This is mostly the kind of device I'd like to put together for my grandparents who c
Kitchen electronics? (Score:3)
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.
We have one (Score:2)
Bought an HP all-in-one touchscreen about a year ago. Use it daily for reading news, music, recipes, etc. Very useful. Came with remote keyboard\mouse (have not yet had to change the batteries). We NEVER use the touch screen feature. it was cute to scroll with your finger like the iphone for the first few days but the screen gets so dirty it looks disgusting. Keyboard\mouse work fine and I think everyone has forgotten it has touch screen capabilities. I bought the good one with the multi-touch. I Cou
Nasty idea. touchscreens spread disease (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
ipad + lifeproof = kitchen safe (Score:2)
I can't recommend more. Lifeproof is great.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)