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Are In-Wall iPads the Next Big Thing?
And custom integrators are salivating at the prospect of selling these highly functional, sleek touchpanels to homeowners looking for a stable wireless control interface. Totally groundbreaking.
As one integrator told me: "I've sold my last dedicated wireless touchpanel." He says all his wireless touchpads will now be iPads. They are much less expensive and, he says, much more stable.
Savant has followed up the hoopla with another big announcement: the first in-wall iPad dock. Savant's $500 in-wall cradle aims to take iPad adoption to the next level as these ubiquitous devices become part of a home's décor that will replace a more expensive dedicated in-wall touchpanel.
Dealers I have spoken with believe the iPad will never replace the need for an in-wall touchpanel located near a home's entry point for activation of lights and arming/disarming the alarm system. But that's exactly why there is a need for an in-wall version of the iPad. (I won't get into any discussions about in-wall iPad patents.)
Here's the question: in the future, will integrators prefer dedicated in-wall touchpanels or in-wall iPads?
Savant believes that for about $1,000, consumers will get a powerful in-wall or desktop touchpanel that is five times less expensive than other solutions, offering increased functionality and better customizable graphics.
I guess when you put it that way, the in-wall iPad could be revolutionary.
What do you think?
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Article Topics
Blogs · Home Automation and Control · Control Systems · Ipad · Savant · Apple · Ipad Wall Mount · Ipad Mount · Ipad Dock ·About the Author
30 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
The iPad blows away any touch panel solution that Crestron or AMX can put out there. Why would anyone in their right mind (except if you are a delirious billionaire) pay for a Crestron or AMX touch panel that is bulky old technology. The iPad wins hands down. I do look forward to seeing more competition from the Droidites out there and hope that someone will make a dock for them too.
The big guys are gonna have to figure out that the in-wall mounts aren’t worth as much as the iPad itself. Lots of room for some small player to come up with a much cheaper solution.
Even an iPod Touch could be a nifty in-wall addition.
So $500 for the Ipad and $500 for the (potentially clunky) mount. Now you’re at $1000…+ potentailly more for 3rd party sotware interface ...and the gap to the touch panel just got a lot smaller. What am I missing?
If you click the link to the doc above, it says $350 for the wall mount and it has an alarm. If they have one without the alarm, it may be cheaper.
We earn our income on the value add. Services and associated items are where our margin lives. Greater client acceptance will be realized by putting an Apple in the proposal and in the wall (even if there is little, no gap or if Apple is more). If you can up sell, do what you do best. More importantly do what’s best for your client and the repeat and referral business will take care of the rest.
I don’t think that many clients are actually going to want the ipad mounted in the wall, especially with that huge bezel that the savant mount has.
Using decicated touch panels whether handheld or in wall is a thing of the past. With a 3rd party product like the iPad there are more benefits as they can control multiple systems easier and bring more value with the additional apps that may not be available from a certain manufacturer. Integrators can add multiple systems and control them easier bringing more value to the customer.
I have always been a fan of 3rd party control as it allows for more flexability for a particular system. With more products on the way running other OS like Android, a decicated touch panel will not be required and in most cases will not have the same benefit as the 3rd party products.
Using 3rd products like the iPad will allow for the same UI on a customers other devices whether they be phone or tablet, and that is a great benefit in the long run.
So now you can’t make any money with TVs or Touchpanels or remotes…Sounds like a great biz model to me. Pure Labor. Geek Squad here we come
I remember making money before touchpanels and flatscreens on speakers, wire, and audio gear, that hasn’t changed. Now instead of the control system eating up the budget we can sell better of everything else. Since when is it a bad thing to see labor as a profit center? Step up your game and sell products that will wow the client instead of justifying that 5 or 10k touchpanel.
Interesting idea but I would be willing to bet with android tablets on the horizon and Google TV looming the IPad “solution” will still be too expensive for mass adoption and Google will capture that market share.
$99 in wall kit by this time next year.
Recent dealer research has proven to me that consumers want their control dvice to do muti apps and be mobile. read and then turn the lights off. Light switches and wall clutter sucks. Mounting a product in the wall that has better resolution than your eyes is lame. Youth will watch more hours of movies and enertainment on portable home control enabled devices than large format displays. in expensive slave system devices will sell like Nirv dedicated remotes but, touch panels are now like rice, gas and sugar. No single cedia member is large enough to buy them right as a manufacturer. hey BODof CEDIA remember wanting to court Apple etc. to remain revelent? Now as a manufacturer we will make high quality products you can build around an iPad which will be hand heald. Mounting in the wall seemed cool but it’s lame. I live with five tmpc8 crestron and i would hate having in the wall. our industry is changing so fast the only products that should mount permant are projectors, screens, speakers and racks. Good luck and take advantake of the opportunity, don’t resist it, sell automation as the cheeper product it is and focus older clients on great sound and video.
$500 wall mount? how bout velcro?
Prefer iPad… The price points on existing dedicated touch panel interfaces are a huge barrier to bringing really cool home automation to the masses. Still waiting for more apps though…. And 40+ Android tablet models are coming soon!!!