computoman

Many people say the touchpad is replacing the desktop. I prefer to think it as supplementing the desktop. Though a physical case for a personal computer is much larger than than a touchpad, so much can be held inside the case. With the touchpad all the extra wires to make the system more bulky.  On the other hand with the desktop you can access anything the touchpad can via a network. Why I am less likely to get new equipment?  On both the desktop and the touch pads, you are not free to install what software or hardware you want. It is the vendor's way or the highway.  You do not treat customers that way, Apple, Android, and the rest of spoiled brats maybe off the market with all the new open platforms coming. With open source you are more likely to get software upgrades for a longer time. We still use early Pentium based desktops for various reasons . For example the Nexus 7 will still get software fixes and et cetera, but no more upgrades ...

One of the things I like about a home web server is the ability enhance the capabilities of a touchpad. You can use the server to do all the heavy lifting. In this case Cookdojo recipe program is running from the server (where all the data is kept), but allows the touchpad as an interface or thin client. You can easily move the touchpad to another location for some other web based application such as home automation or even a game. Even some of the older  and larger touchpads will do just fine. Even better look at the tv listings in the lounding room. Guess what is being used as a data server:

Tried to use the famous Kipkay's method for a sort of megaphone for the pad. Not stable enough. Used tees instead of right angles. Also sealed off the back side of the tees to concentrate sound.

Raspberry Pi to get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (popular touchpad operating system) .  Talked about the Raspberry Pi (SOC or system on a chip computer) before in an earlier article. According to several news sources such as  http://www.zdnet.com/raspberry-pi-to-get-android-4-0-ice-cream-sandwich-7000001980/ .  Although Icecream is not the latest version of Android, it is still new enough to be very viable. Hopefully Android version 4.1 will be available soon. What is really interesting is that you can already run an optimized version of Debian linux ( http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads ) on the unit. With a composite video out port, you can connect it to most portable DVD players (with composite input) or older composite monitors. That means you can have a computer for under fifty dollars.  Since you can easily strap the Raspberry Pi behind a portable dvd player or a low cost portable touch screen, it as a home made touchpad will be surely competition for all t...