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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 1

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.
digi_owl 11y ago
Even a sighted person could benefit, as for example i am typing this without looking on the keyboard. This because i can feel the edges of the keys under my fingers, and i can sense where the F and J keys are. The rest comes down to muscle memory.

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.

digi_owl 11y ago

Even a sighted person could benefit, as for example i am typing this without looking on the keyboard. This because i can feel the edges of the keys under my fingers, and i can sense where the F and J keys are. The rest comes down to muscle memory.