I still think a very simple and highly rugged oldskool-laptop shaped
server console would be a valuable addition to any server room.
The idea in my head is something not necessarily designed to be tossed in
a bag or backpack, but rather could pretty easily be knocked off a rack
tray accidentally and survive the landing. No moving parts at all, and
probably a good plate of plexi or something covering the screen (a number
of new LCD panels I've seen recently place some acrylic covering over the
front of the panel--great idea..)
Power? Small switching supply built-in, IEC connector. Or batteries, and
I mean like 4 D cells or something. Specs? 16 color low-res backlit LCD
screen, 80x25 or 80x30 or something close to that. Maybe a couple of
terminal emulators supported. Serial and USB client connections, with the
USB client being included with some basic examples of how to set it up
with hotplug or equivalent so that plugging the thing in will put a getty
on it. Include a Wintendo XP service to give you access to the Wintendo
CLI interface (which isn't bad actually) to make the package a little more
attractive to guys who say they "are Administrator" rather than "have
root" like a normal person would.
Oh, and since the circuit board for this thing is like one square inch,
make the bulk of the space for the unit the inclusion of a keyboard with
non-chicklet keys? And a numpad? I don't care if you use a compact lappy
layout for the main keyboard, but dammit I have good reason for ten-key
numeric entry!
C'mon, the world needs such a device. =)
--
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act,
but a habit."
-- Aristotle
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