Updated 2012: Having used the iPad for home automation for well over a year now, the pros and cons have become more clear.  The increased real estate can be put to very effective use over other controllers, and having an integrated dynamic display is useful for webcams or context sensitive information where the function of the button may change.  A negative aspect I've experienced is the additional time of unlocking the iPad and waiting for a network connection (just a few seconds but still can cause you to pause).  I've considered putting the iPad into 'never sleep' mode and leaving the device in a permanent state of readiness, as would be the case with a wall-controller, however or a home theater, bedroom or other location where light sensitivity would be an issue this wouldn't be an ideal solution - there may also be the issue of screen longevity, however my preliminary searches indicate it should hold up for 10 years without issue.  Still, for these situations a hard-buttoned approach may seem to be a better fit.  With prices coming down for used iPads, the opportunity to place dynamic whole home controllers is increasingly achievable by the day. 

Original Article:

With the recent announcement from Steve Jobs that Apple will be releasing the iPad in the next 60 days, many people (including myself) were asking "What's the point of the iPad?"  After doing a search for this exact phrase and finding numerous discussions, it appears that people such as myself with both a MacBook and an iPhone aren't the target market, as those two devices pretty much cover off any computing I need to do.  No, the target market appears to be families with schedules to coordinate (calendar app) and notes to leave (using it as an electronic whiteboard) as well as people who may travel a lot and would prefer to pull out the über-thin iPad to read the paper or email vs a full-fledged laptop. 

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MadMike  - Too big?   |February-02 10:34:02 I'm not sure how big it is, but most in-wall displays are only 4x6" so it might be kind of big for a wall controller... Reply | Quote 0   2

Peter   |February-02 10:39:23 From the apple site: Quote: Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) Width:  7.47 inches (189.7 mm) So yea, it's a big bigger than the typical display - still I'd rather have an easy to read display than one that's too small, and the $499 means you could buy 3 for the same price as the other controllers. Reply | Quote 2   1

Brotha Tech  - Beat me to the puch   |February-04 01:00:27 This is one of the reasons why i will buy the iPad - to see how it can be integrated with home automation. I am not a HA pro, but I plan on building a house within the next couple of years, and it will be wired for home automation. The iPad just may be the main OSD for my tech home. Reply | Quote 2   2

Manuel  - Nothing to put inside IPad   |April-07 20:41:39 If your HA system is TCP/IP native, nothing (soft) to put in your IPad because Safari & WiFi are enough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h7v39avUF k Best Regards from sunny Spain ;-) Reply | Quote 1   1

Peter   |June-24 05:08:28 I did end up getting an iPad and have found it quite useful for monitoring webcams and controlling our home automation setup. We haven't created a wall-mount setup yet, but now that I've had hands-on time with the technology I'm leaning towards leaving the iPad out on the counter & coffee table as a portable controller and viewer, then putting iPod touches in the wall. An ipod touch will fit (barely) into a standard decora switch cover, but the screen is somewhat hidden. I can use the router and widen the opening, but first I'm going to check home depot for an oversized opening switch cover. I'm also experimenting with a solution for multi-room audio called Airfoil which allows you to install the airfoil speakers client on any ipod touch/iphone/airport express/computer/whatever and stream audio to it. I'll write up an article on the install using the ipod touches as distributed audio controllers and home automation devices once I get them in. Anyone with multi-room audio experience is welcome to chime in here. Reply | Quote 0   0

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