Using Netbooks for Home Automation Control?

Eee PC

DIY’ers and people wanting to control their home inexpensively can use Netbooks as an option. For less than $400 you can have a small computer that sits in your kitchen or family room ready to surf the web, view security cameras or turn off the lights. This is one of the reasons why I created Myro:Home as a software only version so users can achieve this type of control for less than purchasing a proper in-wall panel. However, I still recommend for the ultimate integration and control that an in-wall panel is installed in a home.

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You’re currently reading “Using Netbooks for Home Automation Control?,” an entry on mavromatic.

Published:: Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 11:43 am

Author:: Danny Mavromatis

Category:: Home Automation

Tags:: automation, control, hai, home, myro, netbooks

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May 5th, 2009
12:17 PDT

Will your software run on Ubuntu? Many notebooks ship with this OS as the lowest cost option.

Danny Mavromatis

May 5th, 2009
12:20 PDT

No. Currently only Windows… XP options are not that much more.

May 5th, 2009
12:25 PDT

Thanks. How much longer will Microsoft sell XP?

May 5th, 2009
12:27 PDT

Well, from what I have read, MSFT has focused on making Windows 7 work good on Netbooks.

Josh S

May 6th, 2009
8:46 PDT

I am running windows 7 RC1 on my MSI Wind and Win7 runs better on it than XP did. It is fast as hell and works great.

- Josh

May 6th, 2009
8:54 PDT

That’s great to hear! I have Windows 7 running in WMWare on my Mac and it runs fast too.

denix

May 6th, 2009
17:15 PDT

Yeah, the only problem Myro: is windows based

May 6th, 2009
17:17 PDT

May 6th, 2009
17:29 PDT

The point is, Windows-based automation solutions are more expensive and more resource-hungry than similar Linux-based ones. My understanding that Myro: is not even WinCE based, but WinXP Embedded based…

By the time you can run .NET apps to simply control your lights, you need a Pentium4-class CPU at 2GHz+, 1GB of RAM and so on.

On the other hand, touchscreen devices like Nokia tablets (770, N8×0) or similar work fine on ARM-based CPUs at 300-400MHz, 128MB of RAM and can run Python-based apps w/o any issues. Enough to do touchscreen-based lighting controls with rich graphics and visual effects…

May 6th, 2009
19:02 PDT

Denix,

That is not 100% true. You don’t need Pentium4-class CPU 2GHZ+ with Windows XP Embedded. Show me a home automation application that has “rich graphics and visual effects”. Most devices/applications lack the details… the only one I have seen thus far is the iPhone and that has a VERY powerful CPU/GPU and is running a full OS, OSX.

And the reason why I went with XPe is because you don’t need another build to have it run on desktops. I’m a small company and don’t have a full staff of engineers and investors to fund development on every platform. Plus, the space is so small that no company could afford to do business like that. My touchscreen can run Linux or XPe just fine… I chose XPe because there was no benefit to go Linux.

May 6th, 2009
19:29 PDT

And once again, I understand your reasons And I’m not trying to convince you otherwise. I’m just saying.

As of iPhone, it runs one of the ARM derivatives, not VERY powerful though. And runs a highly stripped version of OSX. Basically, it is similar to running WinCE on an ARM, rather than WinXPe on x86. Honestly, x86 sucks as an embedded architecture. Atom comes little bit close, but still not there yet. Performance per watt of power consumption per dollar of price…

The only benefit you’d get from going WinXPe on x86 way is to be able to natively develop on a Windows desktop (if you are a Windows developer) and don’t worry about cross-compilation and learning another OS, which is a big thing for a one-man company like yours.

May 6th, 2009
20:00 PDT

Yup, agree. Sure, there are much more efficient platforms and architectures, but, as we are seeing, technology is catching up and what once was true isn’t now. Like you said ATOM processors are giving us great performance at less power, heat and cost.

When I say that the iPhone is VERY powerful, I am meaning that device has and is utilizing a GPU and CPU which is more powerful than any other mass marketed embedded device out there. I have had quite a bit of success with XPe. I can get it to bootup in less than 5 seconds from complete off… I pick and choose the shell and components needed for my image — it’s pretty much like building your own Linux system.

Using Netbooks for Home Automation Control?

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