asterisk users - Oct 2004 - How useful is the screen on IP phones?

I know the compatibility of various IP phones (Cisco, Snom, Polycomm...)
has been discussed at length.  What I'd like to know is how useful the
"pixel-based" screens on some of those phones are.  Can I create
interactive applications, informative screens, feed still pictures (even
B/W), etc...?  I know *some* things can be done with an ADSI compliant
analog phone, and I'm guessing -- maybe incorrectly -- that the
expensive IP screenphones would allow even more functionality.

Things I'd be interested in:
- Advanced Telephony functions, such as: "shared" caller-id log among
phones within a group; Do-Not-Disturb with status-display; advanced call
routing w/o pickup (phone rings, send to voice-mail or cell-phone based
on keypress); presenting a list of voicemailboxes along with the message
count.
- Automation, such as: Display/control HVAC settings, security, lighting
(yes, I have the server-pieces in place for that, just looking to extend
the GUI)
- SMS
- Read email and/or alert to new email messages
- View instant messages and/or alert to instant messages

*IF* any IP phone is capable of such applications, which would be my
best bet?

Hey Jay

All the stuff you've described is possible. I've done some playing with
the
XML services on a Cisco 7960 to give ACD queue stats and system uptime info.
The phone has a mini web browser built in so it's pretty easy to knock up
some glue scripts in the back end to do what you want to do. I think there
are some examples on the wiki too.

Cheers
Paul