Interface design choices?...

["Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

As I mentioneed the other day, I want to use my epod as my bedside HA
controller, in place of the minitimer that I currently use.

I've just started thinking about what I want on it, and how I can go about
doing it. As I plan to replace the minitimer module, the Epod interface
must
replicate all the functionality that is provided by that, - i.e. a digital
clock display, alarm setting controls, and X10 controls. I also intend to
expand on the basic 4/8 X10 control on the timer.

So, what I'm after is advice/suggestions/help etc...

As I see it, I have several choices for generating the interface....

- ACE-Epod
- Custom webpage rendered by the Epod browser
- Terminal services session to some custom program on a terminal server.

There will be plus and minus points for each option...

ACE-Epod - I haven't seen this yet, so I have no idea what it looks like,
or
how customisable it will be.

Custom webpage designed specifically for this purpose - there may be
problems getting the

Epod browser to display some of the elements that I'd like to include -
such
as a video window of the front door camera?

Terminal services - I know this is faster than the above option, and may
get
around the display problems, but I'm concerned about the connection being
lost between the pod & the server... (Plus I don't currently have a
terminal
server - the upgrade to W2K is still pending!)

Those of you who are using epods as HA controllers, what have you done,
what
would you recommend I do/don't do, what are the pitfalls of each option?

Anyone care to help me in this endeavour?  :-)

I've already "knocked up" an ActiveX control with all the
clock/alarm
setting functions on it, which works fine in the browser on my laptop, but
I've no idea if it will work in the epods browser....

Paul G.





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