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I am amazed that people don't more universally recognise the advantage of a tactile (== physical buttons) interface... Here where i shop the cashiers also have

I am amazed that people don't more universally recognise the advantage of a tactile (== physical buttons) interface... Here where i shop the cashiers also have a touch interface, and they have to keep their arms practically horizontal at chest-height most of the day, which (i'm not an ergonomics expert, but) must be much more tiring than keying stuff in on a flat keyboard. Also, they have to look and aim and peck, whereas a "traditional" (i'm aghast that a real keyboard could fall into a category called traditional, what's the world coming to?) keyboards allow much surer and faster (and sometimes blind) entry... EDIT clarification

SmellyGeekBoy 11y ago
Agreed, it was the blind entry where all the time was saved. Even the 60+ year old part timer in our store had most of the functions memorised and complained when the new system launched. I forget the exact sequence (it's been about 10 years) but the faster typers among us could walk up to a terminal, type in their user ID and password, hit e.g. F2 F6 F1 F7 to go to the sales screen and scan the first item within about 3 seconds, even before the screen had caught up, and it would work flawlessly every time. It took longer than that just to log in to the new system!
digi_owl 11y ago
Touch screens for cashiers seem to be used for product flexibility reasons. Meaning that chains can add/remove products, or categories, easily. As for the ergonomics issue, i think that is known as "gorilla arm". My personal take there is that screens for input and screens for output should be put at very different orientations. A input screen really belong at a near flat angle, much like with a keyboard. Also, i wonder if the resurgence of pressure sensitivity (See Apple's force/3D touch as an example) will make for some change in this. Especially if one combine it with some kind of tech that can give the screen software controlled textures.
- kagamine 11y ago
  Touch screens in retail till systems (POS) are used because we can rewrite the software from scratch and deliver on the same hardware. We can add a button for 10% discount next to teh 5% discount button and just have it appear on the screen after the next release, and only in stores 1 to 5 & 7, not 6 8, & 9. You can also do stuff like add a button to open the browser and carry out tasks on a completely different service not entirely related to POS. Flexibility is definately the reason. Having to upgrade keyboards with physical key-caps is a nightmare. You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Intersting point about controleld textures, any idea how you can see that being used in a shop POS? With only a minute's thought the first thing I came up with was allowing blind people to work retail ... everything is automated now anyway, you don't even hand cash to a human, you just stick it in a hole.
  - toothbrush 11y ago
    > Having to upgrade keyboards with physical key-caps is a nightmare. You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Yeah, imagine that. To hell with the people who have to use those interfaces day in and day out. /s
    - kagamine 11y ago
      Just imagine the time cost involved in that. New features and upgrades would come once a year, maybe. How do you track different sonfigs across hundreds of shops? POS systems with touch screen have been in use for 10+ years, they are well tested and there is no "screw the users" attitude in the industry. Not sure what you are complaining about.
  - noja 11y ago
    > You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Why can't you send them to the store and get someone there to swap the keyboards?
    - kagamine 11y ago
      Because people who work in stores are either idiots or pretending to be idiots. Or choice number 3: they pay us to do that so flat out refuse to do so themselves. Imagine this true story: guy on the phone to technician 3 times about printer not working, go through all the "is it plugged in, try turning it on and off" routine. Nothing working? Still? Tried everything we suggested, yup? OK. Better send a guy out. Arrive on scene. Printer still in box. So, no, nobody is asking anyone to replace keys in the correct position on a physical keyboard in 300 shops nationwide with literally thousands of miles between them. Because the people out there aren't interested in helping. With touchscreens we can push updates with full control over the keyboard/screen (they have a qwerty under the desk most of the time). Also consider the cost of custom keyboards for shops, no t just hte layout but the quality of these items, keypresses thousands of times a week. When something breaks and you aren't sure what it, raspberry jam under a key, or a broken screen. It's easier to diagnose and fix a screen or remote software. I can't use your physical keyboard over a network.

SmellyGeekBoy 11y ago

Agreed, it was the blind entry where all the time was saved. Even the 60+ year old part timer in our store had most of the functions memorised and complained when the new system launched. I forget the exact sequence (it's been about 10 years) but the faster typers among us could walk up to a terminal, type in their user ID and password, hit e.g. F2 F6 F1 F7 to go to the sales screen and scan the first item within about 3 seconds, even before the screen had caught up, and it would work flawlessly every time. It took longer than that just to log in to the new system!

digi_owl 11y ago

Touch screens for cashiers seem to be used for product flexibility reasons. Meaning that chains can add/remove products, or categories, easily. As for the ergonomics issue, i think that is known as "gorilla arm". My personal take there is that screens for input and screens for output should be put at very different orientations. A input screen really belong at a near flat angle, much like with a keyboard. Also, i wonder if the resurgence of pressure sensitivity (See Apple's force/3D touch as an example) will make for some change in this. Especially if one combine it with some kind of tech that can give the screen software controlled textures.

kagamine 11y ago
Touch screens in retail till systems (POS) are used because we can rewrite the software from scratch and deliver on the same hardware. We can add a button for 10% discount next to teh 5% discount button and just have it appear on the screen after the next release, and only in stores 1 to 5 & 7, not 6 8, & 9. You can also do stuff like add a button to open the browser and carry out tasks on a completely different service not entirely related to POS. Flexibility is definately the reason. Having to upgrade keyboards with physical key-caps is a nightmare. You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Intersting point about controleld textures, any idea how you can see that being used in a shop POS? With only a minute's thought the first thing I came up with was allowing blind people to work retail ... everything is automated now anyway, you don't even hand cash to a human, you just stick it in a hole.
- toothbrush 11y ago
  > Having to upgrade keyboards with physical key-caps is a nightmare. You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Yeah, imagine that. To hell with the people who have to use those interfaces day in and day out. /s
  - kagamine 11y ago
    Just imagine the time cost involved in that. New features and upgrades would come once a year, maybe. How do you track different sonfigs across hundreds of shops? POS systems with touch screen have been in use for 10+ years, they are well tested and there is no "screw the users" attitude in the industry. Not sure what you are complaining about.
- noja 11y ago
  > You have to send an actual person (a human!) out to do upgrades. Why can't you send them to the store and get someone there to swap the keyboards?
  - kagamine 11y ago
    Because people who work in stores are either idiots or pretending to be idiots. Or choice number 3: they pay us to do that so flat out refuse to do so themselves. Imagine this true story: guy on the phone to technician 3 times about printer not working, go through all the "is it plugged in, try turning it on and off" routine. Nothing working? Still? Tried everything we suggested, yup? OK. Better send a guy out. Arrive on scene. Printer still in box. So, no, nobody is asking anyone to replace keys in the correct position on a physical keyboard in 300 shops nationwide with literally thousands of miles between them. Because the people out there aren't interested in helping. With touchscreens we can push updates with full control over the keyboard/screen (they have a qwerty under the desk most of the time). Also consider the cost of custom keyboards for shops, no t just hte layout but the quality of these items, keypresses thousands of times a week. When something breaks and you aren't sure what it, raspberry jam under a key, or a broken screen. It's easier to diagnose and fix a screen or remote software. I can't use your physical keyboard over a network.