Overall I find that macOS is the easiest OS to use, and would do everything I want for the mirror with less trouble than Linux or Windows, but Windows is a reasonably close second. I'd prefer macOS, but I can't justify the cost of cramming even the cheapest a Mac mini behind my mirror. I'm comfortable with Windows, having used it in some form for more than 20 years. Which brings us to the "cost" of Linux vs Windows. I specifically did not want to use Linux, which is why I got the Windows model. You can also get an Intel Compute Stick that comes with Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows, which brings the price down substantially because you're not paying for the Windows license. This still gives a nice cost savings to the Pi, but at the expense of having to fiddle with more components and generally slower hardware. So while the Compute Stick is about 3x-4x more than a Pi, it is actually closer to 2x-3x depending on the accessories you need to get. It includes wifi, Bluetooth, a case, and an SSD, as well as a USB power supply. The Intel Compute Stick I got costs $125 on Amazon. You're looking at a minimum of $45, and up to $65. You will need a micro SD card (~$10) to install the OS on. You may also need a power supply (~$10), unless you can run it off USB. Pi 3 Model B is the same price, and includes wifi, but if you have a Pi 2 like I did it'll be another $10 for a USB wifi module. Some people like Linux, and want as lean as a system as they can get, but I just want something that will do what I want it to do with as little hassle as possible, and here that was the Intel Compute Stick running Windows. I find Windows much easier to use than Linux, and I was able to get it to do what I wanted it to do very quickly. Overall, I'm quite happy with my switch to the Compute Stick. Moving it back into the mirror case would probably completely silence it, but I haven't had a reason to mess with it just yet. I actually thought it was the neighbors vacuuming, and that the sound was just barely coming through the walls, but it was just the stick. Since I moved it to the outside of the mirror in an attempt to improve wifi signal strength, I hear it a bit more in a dead-quiet bathroom in the morning. AirPlay doesn't really work, but the speakers are so bad in that TV that it hasn't been much of a concern. A Windows update once opened a dialog in the screen to let me know it was going to automatically reboot in the middle of the night, but I haven't seen any of those since. A few late Windows post-install messages that would pop up in the first few days, but they were dismissed easily. The only issues I had were very minor and easily resolved. I can treat the mirror as just another appliance, which is how I want it to work - I have enough computers to keep maintained. Windows updates automatically trigger in the middle of the night, and since I was able to get Chrome to launch on startup properly I don't even need to be aware that it happened. I haven't had to restart the browser at all, while with the Pi/Chromium pages would just stop updating and I'd have to either refresh the page or restart Chromium itself. The DIY Magic Mirror hardware and software is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.It's been two months, and so far everything is working perfectly. Software OnlyĪ software registration key will be e-mailed to you after your Paypal payment has been received. If you already have an Arduino and can build the circuit yourself, you can also purchase just the software. The Magic Mirror kit can be purchased from Seeedstudio. One way to hide the computer, Running Time: 29s How to use a magnetic Reed switch which is used to trigger the Picasa Picture Frame mode in this example, Running Time: 56s How to install the proximity sensor in the wall and what the proximity LED does, Running Time: 31s How to do an in wall installation of the character select potentiometer, Running Time: 1:19 min Watch this if you're having problems getting the Magic Mirror up and running (best viewed in full screen mode), Running Time: 3:46 minĪn explanation of the settings and options of the Magic Mirror software using the Advanced Configuration Program v4, Running Time: 7:35 minĮxplains the new features in Version 5: Tweets your Breathalyzer results, custom audio mode with user supplied MP3s, webcam with facial recognition, stand alone mode without the sensor hub, custom video over-rides for the touch sensor inputs, Running Time: 7:33 minĪ video tutorial on how to connect the sensors to the Magic Mirror Board Running Time: 4:17 minĪ video tutorial on how to change the size of the Magic Mirror characters. How to initially setup the Magic Mirror on Windows. How to hide the Phidgets 1110 Touch Sensors in the walls, Running Time: 4:04 min How to install the Magic Mirror display, Running Time: 56s
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