After the complexities of adding CDs, constructing a jukebox database, and designing the jukebox server, it comes as a pleasant surprise to learn that the remote control is actually extremely simple. All that's needed is an ordinary web browser with wireless access.

I find that the most convenient size for a remote control is bigger than a PDA and smaller than a laptop. The ideal screen size is about 8 inches (20 cm).

When the jukebox was first designed I wrote here "There are a limited number of devices, designed for use as super-PDAs, that feature 8-inch touch screens. Unfortunately they're not cheap. I'm hoping that technological progress will result in more such devices becoming available at lower prices". Well, technological progress has done exactly that. The Asus eee PC ushered in a whole new class of "netbook" mini-laptops that fit the jukebox's requirements perfectly.

Although any netbook would do the job, the one we actually use — the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 — has features that make it particularly attractive. Many netbooks have cooling fans, but the Dell doesn't. Also it has a SSD (solid state disk) instead of a traditional hard disk. It is therefore totally silent. Add to that its solid build quality and high quality finish, and it's way ahead of all other netbooks for this application.

With such a big screen it's not surprising that battery life is shorter than that of a traditional remote control (a few hours only). Fortunately it's perfectly acceptable here to have the remote control plugged into the power supply most of the time. When away from the power supply, we prefer not to switch the device off, because when you switch it back on, although the screen comes on quickly, the WiFi link takes a few seconds to re-establish itself, and the display doesn't update automatically.

Despite the battery issue, in normal use everyone seems to be happy with the remote control. The advantages of being able to browse the music collection instead of rummaging through stacks of CDs far outweigh the minor inconveniences of a short battery life.

No custom software is required in the remote control. Any modern web browser except Microsoft Internet Explorer (which displays almost everything wrong) will do. I favour Firefox because of its design and troubleshooting features (the excellent Firebug add-on). Also I use the Full Fullscreen add-on so that the jukebox can use every one of those 1024x600 pixels.

Firefox is configured so that it starts up at the jukebox start page and goes into full screen mode automatically. With that done, the functionality of the remote control is all down to the jukebox database and the associated CGI programs.

Links on the jukebox pages are identifiable as blue text. Each link causes new information to be displayed. There are also grey buttons that operate the player. Links and buttons can be operated with the trackpad or a mouse. Hovering the mouse pointer over a link or button causes a small tip window to appear.

For hands-on experience of the remote control try the Software Demonstration.