A monitoring and control device includes a touch sensitive LCD screen, with a basic layout including a display area and touch sensitive keys depicted with associated system and function symbols. A main menu or any one of plural system menus can be selectively displayed in the display area. The system menus relate to cabin systems such as audio, lighting, and water systems. The selected system menu displays status information and touch input keys for the user to monitor the status and to select and control the operation of the system. The main menu is a top level window providing essential information regarding all of the cabin systems and allows a user to select any one of the system menus. The device is compact, user-friendly, and adaptable to various system requirements by mere software reprogramming. The displays and input keys are all virtual elements generated by software.