Idea

T

terry

Guest
Hi,

I have an idea about an electronic device which I do not know whether
it has marketing value.

I want to make a POS device which can connect to keypad, barcode
scanner, receipt printer and ethernet. Over it there is a big
graphical LCD. The ethernet connector is used to connect to the server
computer to get product name, price and store order invoices. It can
be regarded as a small computer which has the following advantage:

1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.

2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.

4. It has samll size which lets u more convenient and have more space
to display your products.

Is it a good product with market value? Any modification or
suggestion?

Thanks!
 
On 10 Nov 2004 07:36:19 -0800, leonlai2k@yahoo.com (terry) wrote:

Hi,

I have an idea about an electronic device which I do not know whether
it has marketing value.

I want to make a POS device which can connect to keypad, barcode
scanner, receipt printer and ethernet. Over it there is a big
graphical LCD. The ethernet connector is used to connect to the server
computer to get product name, price and store order invoices. It can
be regarded as a small computer which has the following advantage:

1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.

2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.

4. It has samll size which lets u more convenient and have more space
to display your products.

Is it a good product with market value?
---
In my opinion, no.
---

Any modification or suggestion?
---
Forget it.

--
John Fields
 
"terry" <leonlai2k@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9904d48.0411100736.31703360@posting.google.com...


1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.
An old out of date PC might do the same job. I'm sure you can find a
manufacturer stuck with out of date stocks or lease machines. Much cheaper
to sell them to you than recycle them.

2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.
If you have a fast booting OS yes.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.
Do stores care that much?

Is it a good product with market value? Any modification or
suggestion?
Since you don't need much processing power why not use a central computer
and multiple terminals and printers? Wireless LAN them? I think you will
find that's what the big stores do now.
 
"terry" <leonlai2k@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9904d48.0411100736.31703360@posting.google.com...
Hi,

I have an idea about an electronic device which I do not know whether
it has marketing value.

I want to make a POS device which can connect to keypad, barcode
scanner, receipt printer and ethernet. Over it there is a big
graphical LCD. The ethernet connector is used to connect to the server
computer to get product name, price and store order invoices. It can
be regarded as a small computer which has the following advantage:

1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.

2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.

4. It has samll size which lets u more convenient and have more space
to display your products.

Is it a good product with market value? Any modification or
suggestion?

Thanks!
Sounds like a modern supermarket cash register to me.

Ken
 
I think I need to clarify something much more.
1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.

An old out of date PC might do the same job. I'm sure you can find a
manufacturer stuck with out of date stocks or lease machines. Much cheaper
to sell them to you than recycle them.
I think my price is as low as US$100. Comparing to a real computer
with LCVD and OS and retail software, it is much lower.

2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.

If you have a fast booting OS yes.
I used MCU to do the job. So the boot action is instant.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.

Do stores care that much?
I think one can save a lot of power fee as a real computer consumes
US$10 per month.

Is it a good product with market value? Any modification or
suggestion?

Since you don't need much processing power why not use a central computer
and multiple terminals and printers? Wireless LAN them? I think you will
find that's what the big stores do now.

Besides, the size of the unit can be as small as 8cmx8cmx4cm size
which is compact relative to a real computer.

Finally on thing I missed, it is quiet as comparing to real computer.
 
On 10 Nov 2004 16:09:10 -0800, leonlai2k@yahoo.com (terry) wrote:

I think I need to clarify something much more.

1. It is cheap, as a real computer with monitor and OS software and
retail software it costs much more.

An old out of date PC might do the same job. I'm sure you can find a
manufacturer stuck with out of date stocks or lease machines. Much cheaper
to sell them to you than recycle them.

I think my price is as low as US$100. Comparing to a real computer
with LCVD and OS and retail software, it is much lower.


2. It boots fast comparing to a real computer.

If you have a fast booting OS yes.


I used MCU to do the job. So the boot action is instant.

3. It consumes less power comparing to a real computer.

Do stores care that much?


I think one can save a lot of power fee as a real computer consumes
US$10 per month.

Is it a good product with market value? Any modification or
suggestion?

Since you don't need much processing power why not use a central computer
and multiple terminals and printers? Wireless LAN them? I think you will
find that's what the big stores do now.


Besides, the size of the unit can be as small as 8cmx8cmx4cm size
which is compact relative to a real computer.

Finally on thing I missed, it is quiet as comparing to real computer.
---
So go for it, and good luck!

--
John Fields
 
"terry" <leonlai2k@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9904d48.0411100736.31703360@posting.google.com...
Hi,

I have an idea about an electronic device which I do not know whether
it has marketing value.

I want to make a POS device which can connect to keypad, barcode
scanner, receipt printer and ethernet.
You need to incorporate support for RFID tags. They may change the whole
definition of "point of sale". For example they may eliminate check outs and
the large amount of space they take up entirely.
 
"CWatters" <colin.watters@pandoraBOX.be> wrote in message news:<P7Gkd.18746$zL3.1187939@phobos.telenet-ops.be>...
"terry" <leonlai2k@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9904d48.0411100736.31703360@posting.google.com...
Hi,

I have an idea about an electronic device which I do not know whether
it has marketing value.

I want to make a POS device which can connect to keypad, barcode
scanner, receipt printer and ethernet.

You need to incorporate support for RFID tags. They may change the whole
definition of "point of sale". For example they may eliminate check outs and
the large amount of space they take up entirely.
It seems to be another thing and I think it is not cheap.
 
More:

http://www.alientechnology.com/

http://www.radiofrequencyidentification.org/

http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1366

"Alien Technology has the most ambitious program yet. Their venture funding
totals $128 million to push the cost to less than 5 cents a tag. A new
factory, being built in North Dakota, will churn out 20 billion tags
annually "
 
"terry" <leonlai2k@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9904d48.0411110731.38d4b94a@posting.google.com...

You need to incorporate support for RFID tags. They may change the whole
definition of "point of sale". For example they may eliminate check outs
and
the large amount of space they take up entirely.

It seems to be another thing and I think it is not cheap.
Not yet perhaps but all the big stores are doing lots of work in this area.
It would eventually allow them to eliminate check out staff.

Tesco in the UK..

http://www.comp-buyer.co.uk/buyer/news/37172/tesco-trials-id-tags.html

Wallmart in the USA..

http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,82052,00.html

So far it's too expensive to use on every individual product at the moment
but that is their objective. They are starting deployment in their
warehouses and delivery chain. As volumes increase it will eventually become
cheap enough to consider full deployment.

Eventually they will fit tags to every product and have scanners on special
unstaffed checkout isles. The idea is that customers would simply walk
through these without needing to unload and reloads their trolleys (or even
personal shopping baskets), then swipe their credit card. I expect some
customer resistance initially but not having to queue will eventually win
people over. We already have customer operated check outs for those paying
by credit card in the UK.

How about making a portable hand held tag reader that displays what you've
got in your trolley as a kinda independant checking device that the customer
can buy. Hint design it as a PCMCIA card and write S/W for Palm, pocket PC
etc
 

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