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Best CURRENT (2016) touchscreen options for tabletop and/or wall mounting?

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    Best CURRENT (2016) touchscreen options for tabletop and/or wall mounting?

    I'm looking for recommendations on two types of inexpensive touchscreen devices (or one device that can do both) for running HSTouch. If it can browse the web and run other apps like BlueIris and Spotify that would also be cool, but not required.
    1. Tabletop (preferably with a built in stand and wireless charging)
    2. Flush-wall-mounted w/ ability to remove and make it handheld controller.

    What is the best OS to get a custom HSTouch working smoothly? Windows 7? Windows 10? Android? iOS? If Android/iOS do I have to root/jailbreak to get them working like a proper remote controller? Does everything have to be rooted and/or jailbroken to work properly?

    I've scoured the forums but most of the posts I've seen appear to be old and use old hardware and talk about issues that might not be a problem anymore.

    I really dont want to do ipads as they are expensive as crap. I also dont want to go so cheap that I get something that is going to be unresponsive or crash randomly. It needs to be ROCK SOLID reliable. I also dont want to be fumbling around with cradles and wall brackets and charger cables every time I pick it up...so ideally something that either has stand/bracket built in or can be mounted w/ magnets.

    I've seen people recommend the Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 (8") which looks very intriguing. The Yoga Tab 3 is available now for like $170 so this might be a great option for tabletop. I just wish it had wireless charging. Are there any other similar tablets out there w/ built in stand AND wireless charging?

    I've also seen people recommend a chinese mini-pc/tablet hybrid thing called the PIPO-X9S which looks intriguing except for the awkward antenna http://www.geekbuying.com/item/PIPO-...MI-362600.html

    What is everyone else using? Appreciate any recommendations!

    #2
    If I were going to replace mine today, I would do the same thing - create a picture frame for a tablet. My android tablets have been working great. I would use either Nexus tablets or even the kindle fire's (the KF might take a little extra work setting up though).

    For tabletops, the HST touchscreens are fine. Ours dont get a lot of use other than weather and google calendar. Everything else is pretty much automated.

    Here's some shots of the wall mounted units (these are older photos, but you get the idea).





    HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
    54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
    Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

    HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

    Comment


      #3
      I looked at the Yoga too, and almost bought one. My plan was to mount it upside down under a cabinet in the kitchen. Wife actually approved of me mounting a real 22" monitor that has touch screen in the kitchen, so jumped on that before she changed her mind.

      Personally here right now, I have a couple tablets, one is mounted on the wall in the bathroom using command strips (I did this as its not permanent and wanted to see if it would actually get used). It's been good and reliable.

      My next plan is to take the wall mounted tablets and replace my russound keypads with them. Cat5 cable is already run and we don't use the pads really anyways and I am always hesitant to put holes in walls for this stuff for when I want to sell the house. I am working on making a Raspberry Pi work for this running HSTouch and their 7 inch touch screen.

      For table top i have tablets too and just mounted to the back of it a picture holder that I found at Michael's one day... can't see the holder at all and it actually looks pretty clean. I use this at the night stands on by the beds.

      I have had lots of luck with Asus tabs... the 8 inch memo. I have 2 of them and only spent about 100 a piece on them. I have one dell 8 inch tab that I found for 70 bucks and its working really well too.

      I have a couple iPads that I was testing with, and the software for them is junk. It crashes all the time and can't recover. I think recent updates to the HS software have actually made it worse (if that's possible).

      Stick with windows and android.

      Comment


        #4
        For a tablet suggestion, I have 3 of the ten inch Lenovo Tab2:

        https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

        They are 10 in Android Tablets with a sharp screen, and so far they are very reliable. They have 2 Gigs of RAM so they don't choke as easily as some other inexpensive android tablets. I tried using an ipad but there were just too many problems with it. I mainly use them as security camera monitors, but I also have HStouch, and some weather apps installed on them. If you use camelcamelcamel you can watch for price drops: I got mine for between ~ 155-162.00

        They have been reliable. I am planning to mount them in Ikea picture frames if I get the time. I got right angle usb power adapters and plan to wall mount them.

        http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00078032/

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          #5
          Still using the jailbroken iPad minis. I would not change this. If you are just now starting, it could be difficult to get the jailbreak, since there is not one currently available. That gives the ability to fire some commands from the server side to control the screen brightness, which app is running, and etc. These are handy extra features to fine tune the user experience, but not required.

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            #6
            I ended up picking up a Yoga Tab 3 (8") on newegg since they have a promo right now where you get a free 7" tablet w/ it (Vulcan JOURNEY VTA0703IM16 Intel Atom 1 GB Memory)...two tablets for $170 is decent deal.

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              #7
              I use the raspberry pi with the official 7" display, been rock solid. No wireless charging but does me well.
              I use the tablet top display.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                #8
                Originally posted by gd1210 View Post
                I use the raspberry pi with the official 7" display, been rock solid. No wireless charging but does me well.
                I use the tablet top display.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                Not sure what you mean by the "tablet top display"? Pics? Link?

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                  #9
                  Best CURRENT (2016) touchscreen options for tabletop and/or wall mounting?








                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                  Last edited by gd1210; June 10, 2016, 01:58 PM.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Here have mostly been playing with an old capacitance screen tabletop from around 2009 modified to run Windows embedded. I am happy today with Windows XPe / 7e running on these tabletops. Modfications are not easy off the shelf stuff so it is not recommended unless you are in to tinkering with hardware modifications, rewriting a new BIOS ROM et al. I have 16 of these running today via Gb/POE connections and two wirelessly.

                    For in/on wall testing using a 17" multitouch capacitance wide screen with a PiPoX7 running Windows 10. Easy stuff here.

                    That said gd1210 mentions a custom Linux Rasberry 7" touchscreen above. This is a simple DIY with Linux running on it. Only thing right now is for Rich to update the Linux HSTouch client. Costs are reasonable at around $100 or so.

                    The other choices are touch tablets running iOS, Android or Windows. Cost for these start at around $50 and up.
                    - Pete

                    Auto mator
                    Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
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                    HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                    X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by rmasonjr View Post
                      If I were going to replace mine today, I would do the same thing - create a picture frame for a tablet. My android tablets have been working great. I would use either Nexus tablets or even the kindle fire's (the KF might take a little extra work setting up though).

                      For tabletops, the HST touchscreens are fine. Ours dont get a lot of use other than weather and google calendar. Everything else is pretty much automated.

                      Here's some shots of the wall mounted units (these are older photos, but you get the idea).





                      well done, that looks awesome. Was the photo frame a repurposed unit from shop or completely custom made? I have been walking into so many photo frame places and none of the existing frames would fit a cheapish tablet just right (in terms of how much screen is actually showing).

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Jinster View Post
                        well done, that looks awesome. Was the photo frame a repurposed unit from shop or completely custom made? I have been walking into so many photo frame places and none of the existing frames would fit a cheapish tablet just right (in terms of how much screen is actually showing).
                        I made my own out of scrap wood, primed and painted.


                        Sent from my SCH-R970X using Tapatalk
                        HS4Pro on a Raspberry Pi4
                        54 Z-Wave Nodes / 21 Zigbee Devices / 108 Events / 767 Devices
                        Plugins: Z-Wave / Zigbee Plus / EasyTrigger / AK Weather / OMNI

                        HSTouch Clients: 1 Android

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I purchased a used, reconditioned IPAD2 off of ebay. Then mounted it to a wall using a product called Vidabox

                          It created an extremely usable and attractive display. I also use the same combo for a camera display.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I'm looking for something with built in speakers, preferably forward facing as eventually, I may want Homeseer to say something. All I've found is this from HP running windows 10. I don't believe iPad's have built in speakers do they? I couldn't justify buying new iPads, but $200 off eBay isn't bad. but, i don't think they have speakers.

                            HP - Pavilion x2 - 10.1" $279
                            http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavil...?skuId=4476300

                            I was playing around with HS3Touch for the first time, and when you choose Windows OS, you only have the option of Portrait layout whereas if you pick Android, you have landscape, portrait, or both. I don't know if that's a limitation with using windows OS as a client, or what that is about. Ideas?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by tome10 View Post
                              I'm looking for something with built in speakers, preferably forward facing as eventually, I may want Homeseer to say something. All I've found is this from HP running windows 10. I don't believe iPad's have built in speakers do they? I couldn't justify buying new iPads, but $200 off eBay isn't bad. but, i don't think they have speakers.



                              HP - Pavilion x2 - 10.1" $279

                              http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavil...?skuId=4476300



                              I was playing around with HS3Touch for the first time, and when you choose Windows OS, you only have the option of Portrait layout whereas if you pick Android, you have landscape, portrait, or both. I don't know if that's a limitation with using windows OS as a client, or what that is about. Ideas?


                              iPads have speakers. Check groupon, I recently bought iPads for my homeseer for $150 each refurbished.

                              My HS plays announcements through the iPads just fine. Just remember if you have it play sounds before an announcement, don't use a *.wav file in the HS event, as the iPad won't play wav files.

                              Here's one of mine, using a desktop frame I found online




                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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