It
is tempting to use those expensive point-of-sale computer systems forever
. However, this is never feasible, nor sensible. It gets to a point
when the Law of Diminishing Returns sets in, and you begin to lose money
instead of saving it. When should you consider changing your computer
system? Chris Odediran,
CC Production's Technical Analyst, provides the answer.
Let's face it: computers may be built to last forever. But
technology advances so rapidly a perfectly running machine becomes obsolete.
Ever machine has a life expectancy. Like humans, they age with time, so
there comes a point when it becomes either obvious, necessary or sensible
to upgrade or replace the computer. For POS systems, this fact is even
more relevant because computers drive the engine of profitability. Every
down minute with pos computers has productivity implications. Although
upgrading or replacing the system or components cost money and takes time,
at times it's just the reasonable alternative.
When should you consider an upgrade or replacement of your computer system?
Is your computer system more than five years old? According to experts, a computer used as a backoffice or POSdriver in the Positouch system should give you between three to five years of life, and a monitor, about 10 years. The Terminals should meet your needs for five to seven years. So, if you want to get the most from your comprehensive software investment, once your computer reaches this age range, you should begin to consider replacing them.
Is your system running slow? As you install more applications on your computer and space is consumed, the load will eventually begin to tell. Not only that, newer applications use far more resources than older ones, and will make computers run slower. If a person purchased a Windows 98 system, loading a Roxio Media Creator will surely slow the computer down tremendously. And this is the case with most owners – they continue to install new software on old systems.
Does your system or its components go down very often? In some POS sites, the system or its components go down at an average of once a week. In some cases, it is even worse. When point-of-sale systems reach such a level of unreliability, you are definitely losing money. You can't afford to go down this road.
Are you running out of storage space? Not so long ago, a 4Gb hard drive seemed too large to fill up. Today, a fully-loaded Windows XP Professional computer is already using more than that amount of space. As you continue to pile up business data, and add a few programs, the space on your computer will be filled up. An upgrade is definitely the way to go when this happens.
Is your computer unable to install new applications? It is commonplace to buy a new software and not be able to install because your computer fails to meet the minimum installation requirement. A Windows 98 computer, for instance, may not be able to load the software for high speed DSL connection. Recent versions of McAfee and Norton antivirus programs will not install on Windows NT. The list is endless. If you want to continue to enjoy the benefits of technological innovations, you will have to move with the time with your computers.
Is you computer unable to use new hardware? USB
devices will not work with Windows 98 (except 2nd Edition), Windows 95
and Windows NT. Positouch now provides great new technology such as the
fingerprint biometric scanner, which comes with USB interface. If you
have Windows NT, this security enhancing device is not for
your computer. Getting past Positouch, most quality and color laser printers now
come with USB connectivity. So if you wanted to print menus or specials
as a result of you having a Windows NT computer, you will have to look
for an LPT printer and reduce your options . In addition, new technology
such as removable USB drives will not be available for users of Windows
95 and Windows NT. How much do you want to restrict your growth without
all these devices?
If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned
scenarios, you should consider either an upgrade or replacement. Now,
the question is which road should you take: upgrade or replacement? It
depends. An upgrade may appear to save you time and some money and even
buy you time against a replacement. However, there are times when upgrades
will amount to a waste of money. If your system is too far behind the
times, or the cost of upgrade is more than 30% of replacement, buying
a new computer may make more sense. To be exact, if you have a Windows
for Workgroups or Windows 95 system, not only is the software outdated
but the computer will probably require memory, a hard drive and the processor
speed will still be very slow; you must consider replacing your computer
system.
Upgrade
If your current system is a stone
age monster, a new computer is what you need; however, for newer computers,
a simple hardware upgrade may get that "old" system running
like new. An upgrade is good when a significant speed improvement or new
application deployment is achievable just by replacing one or two components.
If multi-tasking or running more than one application at a time is difficult, adding more memory might be in order. If you store all kinds of data on your computer and are running out of space, a bigger hard drive could be what you need. If your computer has enough hardware resources and can take the next operating system upgrade, please go ahead. A Windows 98 computer run by a Pentium III processor, 256mb of RAM and 10gb of drive space is able to use Windows 2000 Professional, or even Windows XP. By all means, consider such an upgrade.
Swapping hardware components for better ones can bring you better computing experience. Of course, if multiple parts costing almost as much as a new computer is what you're looking at to get the level of performance you expect, you are at a point where a cost-effective decision is a new system. Profitouch does not advise you to consider upgrades that involve the computer's motherboard and processor because these entail changing a whole lot of other devices and cost close to a new computer.
Replace
Unlike a few years ago, computers are more affordable these days that,
depending on the situation, it might be logical to replace than upgrade.
An upgrade can be considered if your system is about four years or less.
However, older systems can can be allowed to age until replaced. We will
definitely advise you to change your computer if you haven't in the past
five years. For those running DOS, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and Windows
95, changing the system is, perhaps, the only choice.
Remember, your Positouch software uses less resources than most POS systems.
The dilemma is when you want to take advantage of newer technologies like
gift cards, Internet ordering, fingerprint biometric scanners, or enterprise
software reporting solution, to name a few. The Positouch advantage is
that, in most situations, only your main computer needs the overhaul and
the terminals will get by with minimal upgrades. Whether you upgrade or
replace your hardware, you can still use your Positouch software, and
even add more software features that your business needs to grow. The
current Positouch version being installed is 05.27 using Windows XP Professional
or Server 2003 operating systems.
Call us for a free evaluation of your system. 1-800-507-5554, Ext. 1
To send a message, contact
us
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