Point of Sale Systems Basics

Computer
The central component of a POS terminal is the computer that runs the application. Most resellers prefer to sell you a computer with the rest of the POS system, rather than having you supply your own. The reason is that setup and ongoing support is much easier when the reseller is familiar with the hardware involved. Getting all the hardware from one source lets the reseller take responsibility for the entire system.

If you do want to buy the computers separately, make sure you coordinate the purchase with your reseller. If you get exact specifications from your POS reseller and follow them closely, you should be able to avoid most compatibility problems.

POS applications are not that demanding on the computer, so an average to low-end computer will usually get the job done. - a $500 to $800 computer should be enough to run a POS terminal. The computer does need to be upgradeable - some POS software requires newer operating systems, such as Windows XP - so do not try to re-use the old DOS-based machines you have lying around.

Power
Having "clean" electrical power is a POS system necessity that many businesses underestimate. When you set up multiple POS terminals, they are networked together the same way computer systems in offices are. Fluctuations in the electrical supply due to blenders, meat slicers, microwaves, and other mechanical devices plugged into the same electrical circuit can easily cause enough noise in the power supply to wreak havoc with POS computer systems.

There are two common solutions to the problem. Power filtering can eliminate troublesome spikes and noise before they get to your computer terminals. The more robust solution is to install a dedicated circuit with an isolated ground and use it only for your POS systems.

Power problems are one of the single biggest causes of problems in POS systems. Make sure your vendor analyzes your power situation and suggests appropriate safeguards.

Architecture choices
When choosing your POS system, you may want to look for a system whose software can run on any type of PC so you are not tied down to a particular vendor or platform. Some manufacturers use proprietary hardware, which gives you less flexibility to purchase upgrades and additional equipment from other sources. The primary advantage of proprietary systems is that the software is written specifically to work with one piece of hardware, ensuring seamless compatibility.