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Mission Impossible? I am building a POS system

M

MobiusPizza

Platinum Member
My mom's friend is operating a Chinese takeaway shop and is interested in an computerized order taking system.

There's a leaflet promoting a POS system by a company which offers the system for around 2,000 pound sterling, about US$ 3,500. I think it is overpriced and I may build one half of that price using conventional computer equipments and writing the software by myself.

Basically from what I read on the leaflet, such a system includes a touch screen as the main user input interface; and a dot-matrix printer for printing the output.

I found that touch screens are around 300-400 pound and a dot matrix printers are around 100-400 pound. If I build a barebone system of less than 600 pound then I can save at least a half.

The software I'd write by myself so it's taken care of.

Am I out of my mind?
Am I better with something like this?
http://www.boxtechnologies.com/epson/ir-700.html

 
Probably not worth it. The hardware is an incredible rip, certainly; but unless you are very good indeed, you'll be weeping tears of blood by the time you get the POS software up and running reliably enough for business use. In particular, the ability to play nice with credit cards isn't exactly on the same page as just shoving some output to a thermal printer.

I wish there were some company out there hungry enough to release a software package that turns a commodity system into a POS; but I've not seen such.
 
Originally posted by: phisrow
Probably not worth it. The hardware is an incredible rip, certainly; but unless you are very good indeed, you'll be weeping tears of blood by the time you get the POS software up and running reliably enough for business use. In particular, the ability to play nice with credit cards isn't exactly on the same page as just shoving some output to a thermal printer.

I wish there were some company out there hungry enough to release a software package that turns a commodity system into a POS; but I've not seen such.
Click to expand...

Old conventional cashier system would be used for the cashing. I don't think the commercial product on the leaflet offer any credit card support either.

As a Chinese takeaway without too many customers I think Windows + Access is reliable enough for the job.
 
Hi, What you propose is entirely possible. I was home office tech service for one of the first systems in about the early 70s. It was primative at first, but was modernized over the years. We had them in most of the Fast Food places in the States. We also used DSL (300 baud) to their home offices and prices were sent to the cafes and reports were sent to the home offices. They included inventory, payroll, prices, printers and a bunch of other features. They were in a lan with a server. When we went from core mem to dynamic mem a built in UPS was added. There is a lot more to this, but I don't want to bore you. I'm not sure if it's worth the work, but sounds like you could do it. If you want more detail just ask. Good Luck, Jim

Edit: Just noticed more of your request. I happen to be Jim Phelps of Mission Impossible. The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer. JP
 
Thanks everyone
I forgot the mention, the main objective is simple actually; to print out reciepts to both kichen and the customer. Need not to worry credit card and cash collection.
So I do think it is entirely possible in theory

However I do not have experience in dot-matrix printers nor touch screen monitors. I wonder if they work with Windows
 
Originally posted by: AnnihilatorX
Thanks everyone
I forgot the mention, the main objective is simple actually; to print out reciepts to both kichen and the customer. Need not to worry credit card and cash collection.
So I do think it is entirely possible in theory

However I do not have experience in dot-matrix printers nor touch screen monitors. I wonder if they work with Windows
Click to expand...

They do, you can get a touch-screen monitor for relatively cheap $259

Edit: 30-day trial POS software for Windows
 
Originally posted by: Einstein Element
Originally posted by: AnnihilatorX
Thanks everyone
I forgot the mention, the main objective is simple actually; to print out reciepts to both kichen and the customer. Need not to worry credit card and cash collection.
So I do think it is entirely possible in theory

However I do not have experience in dot-matrix printers nor touch screen monitors. I wonder if they work with Windows
Click to expand...

They do, you can get a touch-screen monitor for relatively cheap $259

Edit: 30-day trial POS software for Windows
Click to expand...

Thanks. The touchscreen is 7" which is unsuitable. Need 12" at least :/
But well they aren't too expensive
 
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