Ripley's Keyboard Is the Computer--Believe or Not.

By Michael Foley
iApplianceWeb
(07/19/01, 08:27:47 AM EDT)

It was bound to happen. The computer has shrunken down into the keyboard. TouchSystems Corporation is taking a novel approach to the post PC generation of devices by integrating the computer into the keyboard. TouchSystem's Ripley is a standard-sized keyboard embedded with a complete computer system. Ripley is a Windows-Based Terminal featuring 10/100 Base-T. It provides all the data ports needed to run as a complete system.

Ripley is primarily designed to act as a communication port between the end-user and the server, allowing all of the application and end user-data to be maintained on the server. Targeted for business automation, Ripley can also be used with a touch LCD for process control, medical, aerospace, and manufacturing applications. Another major non-touch application is with a CRT/LCD as an in-room Internet system for hotels.

Ripley is a standard, 101 key keyboard, embedded with an Hitachi SH 7709A 133MHz RISC CPU. Ripley has 16 MB SDRAM system memory and 8 MB DiskOnChip flash memory.

Software included on Ripley is:

• Terminal OS: Microsoft Windows CE for WBT 1.5
• Protocols: Microsoft RDP and Citrix ICA
• Drivers and utilities for Ethernet, VGA, Audio, Keyboard, and Mouse