howdy
I am in a bit of a quandary over how to build the best operator console unit for our application. The choices are to find a commercial tablet PC that contains all the bells and whistles necessary to connect the human interface devices and network connections, or to build a custom unit out of industrially available components.
On the one hand, the tablet PC option is, on the surface, more simple. The hidden cost is in finding a machine that has the desired features, but not a lot of features we don't need...and it will be more expensive. Then there is the issue of Linux support. Virtually every tablet PC I've come across either has lousy Linux support or totally proprietary interfaces for things like the touch screen.
The component option is more attractive if I can find the components I want, but will be more costly to develop. I'd prefer to develop a custom unit based on components but I cannot find the components I need. For instance, where can I locate an 8 or 9 inch diagonal LCD with a VGA interface and a capacitive touch screen that will work under Linux? I want capacitive, not resistive...and of course, I want the components to be readily available in the USA.
Thoughts?