Low Cost CPUs Force Smart Content Decisions

May 12, 2013 by Dave Haynes

pi-oxford

One of the happy consequences of all the tinkering going right now with low-cost, limited-power CPUs like ARM-based Android players and Raspberry Pi micro computers is the decision to stop a lot of the multi-zone crap and simplify presentations.

The Raspberry Pi forum has a post up about a project that involved  developing a network of connected Raspberry Pis to run a digital signage network at the RS Component’s Oxford offices and at another facility in Corby, Northamptonshire, UK.

The Pis run a slideshow in a continuous loop and display health and safety messages for employees. The manager, Peter Milne, says the things were running continuously for more than 8 weeks without a re-boot, as of last week. They get updated remotely over the network.

What I like here is the presentation simplicity they had no choice but to work with — minimal image clutter, big text, simple tight messages.

In this case, technology forced them (somewhat) to stay simple, but the reality is that this is how MOST digital signage should be presented. When you have a matter of seconds to inform people, there’s no time for lengthy messages or the eye candy of tickers and animations.

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