Advice appreicated

[parout]

I am trying to create a very simple and basic HA solution to use. I starting to evalute Net Remote. Here is what I want to do and would appreciate any feedback.

Run HA software (and server software if needed) on same touchscreen tablet PC running XP Pro. I would be using a USB UIRT to transmit codes to devices. Typically I would probably only program to control a TV, DVD player, Sat/Cable box and X-10. I don't won't anything connected to the touchscreen outside of the USB UIRT, thus am looking to use the IR-543 X-10 controller for light automation. This is a IR to RF/X10 controller.

The questions are:

-Do I have to load server sotware on the same device (seems like all 3 programs listed above run the same way...client/server)

-If I have potentially two of these programs running, will this tax my system resources? 1ghz proc and 512 Ram. The reason I ask this is I probably will have a couple of other programs running as well.

-Is there an easy way to learn IR codes and program devices into the software? I am not a programmer.

-Is there a better X-10, Z-Wave, Insteon solution? I am leaning on the X-10 because I don't see any interfaces for the other solutions that will receive IR commands like the X-10 IR-543.

Thank You for your input.

[Ben S]

I can answer a few of these questions.

1. Yes, if you only are going to have the Tablet PC, the software will all have to be installed on the one device.
2. No, they shouldn't tax the system. Girder 4 and NetRemote are both non-processor usage -provided- that you're using them in standard ways. You can do -all kinds- of cool stuff with Girder 4, but they may tax your machine more.

However I'd -strongly- advise you to get a small PC and put it somewhere where it can control everything. The main focus of both Girder 4 and NR are to get away from using IR only, so this is a -bit- of a square peg / round hole thing.