I have a few project ideas in mind and was wondering if the Arduino platform would be a good place to start. a very abstract description of my projects would be:
1.) Hardware Dvorak keyboard.
I was thinking something like plugging a standard keyboard into an Arduino then the Arduino into a computer. The Arduino being setup when it receives a scan code for the letter S it will send out a scan code for the letter O.
2.) Aquarium alarm.
basically using a temperature sensor that would send an email if the tank were to get to hot or cold.
Are these types of projects something the Arduino is capable of? Would there be any advantage over a PIC or BasicStamp? Thanks in advance!
i don't have much experience with arduinos but i can assure that a 18f series pic or even a 16f is fully capable of doing both keyboard and your aquarium project at the same time.
i'm sure that an arduino is also capable of tackling both task but a bit too pricey for such simple tasks.
For number 1), can't any modern OS do it just with a configuration setting?
As Wes says, both are simple, but for the keyboard, you'd have to use a PS/2 keyboard. Doing real USB on Arduino would be extermely hard, I know one person has managed though.
The keyboard idea would be easy with a PS/2 keyboard and an HID portal or AVR-USB on the Arduino (though AVR-USB on Arduino isn't easy yet). If you wanted to use a USB keyboard, it's still possible but harder; I'd go for the Vinculum solution from FTDI. But yeah, in XP you can easily select a Dvorak keyboard layout.
The Arduino would work well for the aquarium alarm. You could use the Ethernet Shield to get the Arduino on the internet.