Last summer I outlined the components needed to build a kitchen computer but I never created one. (If you know Swedish you can read my blog post Köksdator?) One of my requirements was a touch screen interface.
Right now an LG L1510SF touch screen monitor is in the mail, heading my way! I actually have two uses for it now, because except for building a kitchen computer I plan to put UltraMixer on the touch screen when I will pretend to be a selector (reggae/dancehall disc jockey) next weekend.
The touch screen functionality is supposed to work properly with the evtouch driver and before next weekend I hope to get the touch screen working as a secondary monitor connected to my laptop.
I will use an old Mini-ITX box to create a prototype of the kitchen computer in order to get a better grasp on the toughest issue: how to make it pass the wife acceptance test.
The kitchen computer will probably mostly run Ubuntu with a web browser for easy access to:
- Current date and time
- Weather forecast
- Train status
- Calendar
Hopefully I can take some time to evaluate Ubuntu Mobile and see if it is a suitable interface for this purpose.
For a proper implementation I have thought of using a an ALIX-based system (just like for my firewall). It would be really small but probably pretty slow. I’m now thinking of using an Asus Eee Box. It is small, pretty quiet, and has built-in WLAN. I might also get use for its VESA mount feature. The Eee Box would require an DVI to VGA adapter though. Some Eee Box version seem to include a remote control and that could be useful too!
Even with a touch screen a keyboard and a mouse will be needed for some purposes. They should of course be wireless.
So why not get an EeeTop right away as a kitchen computer? Truth to be told, if I knew about it previously I had forgotten when I ordered the touch screen! Maybe it is perfect for UltraMixer too? And maybe it would pass the wife acceptance test with ease? I will probably never know.