Apple retail stores to upgrade from Windows-based EasyPay to iPod touch

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Comments

  • Reply 81 of 122
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by technohermit View Post


    Indeed. I don't like Prince McLean's articles very much at all. If he'd just stick to the facts and leave his bias behind, he'd be a better writer. There's no reason he can't join in the thread discussion after presenting an unbiased article, right? Then he could joke and be sarcastic and tout Apple all he'd like, *outside* of his news articles. It's like teckstud is his editor.



    You guys spend too much time hating on teckstud, too. You actually criticize him more than a poorly written article, which is unfortunate. Prince may have more errors, bias and omissions in his articles than teckstud does in his opinions.



    This is the most ridiculous comment I've read in a while.



    You either don't know teckstud or you don't read the forum much. I'm tempted to assume that "technohermit" is just "teckstud" and you got out a dictionary and used a grammar checker on this post so as to make it look like your a normal intelligent writer instead of the usual drivel we get from the "teckstud" personna.



    It's especially unbelievable that you confabulate the bias that Prince shows with "errors," when actually, that's the real difference between the two. Both are biased, but if you actually take the time to do the fact checking you will find that Prince is technically right the majority of the time even when he's playing fast and loose with the language. "teckstud" can hardly write a legible sentence, is dead wrong on the facts 80 to 90 percent of the time, and hardly ever even presents "facts" but rather engages in character assassination, bad childish jokes etc.



    I'm not going to try to defend the bias that Prince McClean shows, but he does huge amounts of research and has a very good understanding of the industry and the history of it. teckstud is just some yahoo shouting from the sidelines and saying "oh yeah?!" half the time. He has shown absolutely no knowledge at all of any of the topics on which he pronounces daily.
  • Reply 82 of 122
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rhetoric.assassin View Post


    really...apple? mms problem? try that was AT&T....talk about short attention span and selective memory....DID YOU JUST FORGET THAT MMS has nothing do with APPLE? It was AT&T that screwed the pooch there. There is no blame to be shared by Apple other than AT&T knew they did not have the infrastructure in place to handle the Iphone....they still dont really.....



    To be fair, it was Apples fault as they didn't add support for it until a later firmware.
  • Reply 83 of 122
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    To be fair, it was Apples fault as they didn't add support for [MMS] until a later firmware.



    Really? Then why did the rest of the world have it from the release while AT&T customer's waited months? To be fair, you're completely mistaken.
  • Reply 84 of 122
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    Really, then why did the rest of the world have it from the release while AT&T customer's waited months. To be fair, you're completely mistaken.



    That is only with v3.0, but the reason for including MMS in v1.x or 2.x to the non-AT&T carriers does look to be Apple?s fault. It certainly doesn?t seem technical.



    Of course, we have no idea what silliness was in the initial contract between AT&T and Apple that reportedly was for 2 years. MMS did appear in v3.0 right after that speculated timeframe would have ended. Maybe there was some wonky wording that kept Apple from offering features to other carriers that AT&T couldn?t match.
  • Reply 85 of 122
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    This is the most ridiculous comment I've read in a while.



    I disagree.



    Enough is enough! Any further discussion in this thread of teckstud's posting habits will be deleted. Please stick to the topic at hand.
  • Reply 86 of 122
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    You know, you're statements are just becoming more unbelievable as time goes on. I've had problems with sales people using these for some time. When we got our iPhones September 2008, the device our sales person had kept screwing up. It got so bad, the we had to use my wife's credit card and name instead of mine, because after breaking down the third time, it wouldn't allow mine to be entered again. She ended having to go to the back, where they fixed the problems before we could finish our transaction. I'm not alone in this.



    I'm not sure how you can say this, I likewise have made several purchases in our local Apple store without issue. As to implementation of new technology for the most part it is up to the application software to work correctly. My problem with a transition, By Apple around this time of the year is that Apple is not invincible when it comes to software apps. That is if Apple is doing the software internally, who knows what a third parties track record is.

    Quote:



    With a simple transaction it does better.



    But we've been hearing about problems with these since the beginning. Other stores that use them have problems as well. It's old technology, and CE is not the most reliable OS. PDa's using it used to crash all the time, and Win Mobile, which is based on it is no better, as it crashes all the time as well.



    I'm not sure where the idea that CE isn't reliable comes from. It is used extensively in industrial applications. It certainly isn't perfect but what OS is?



    The thing here is you are blaming the terminal running CE for performance problems when you have no way to know where the problem is. It could be CE but just as easily issues with the app running on the device, Apples backend servers, the credit card company or for the iPhones AT&T.



    Dave
  • Reply 87 of 122
    Verizon needs to score the iPhone like no tomorrow, because an AT&T Wireless iPhone Credit Card Terminal can take out a Verizon Wireless and a Verizon Landline contract in one shot.



    Windows CE and plenty of specialized credit card terminal technology and devices are going to lose marketshare to Apple.



    Take a look at Red Laser in the app store for a demo of how obsolete so many specialized companies are going to be in the next few months.
  • Reply 88 of 122
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Cool. I predicted they would land before this holiday season. I was running out of time. Anyone know?
    ? The company who makes the CC scanner connected to the device and is it available for sale?

    ? If it IR or a camera for the barcode (or chosen manually)?

    ? Who makes the software and if it?s available on the App Store yet?



    Actually these are good questions as I would like to see an expansion of compatible hardware.

    Quote:



    I never understood the humour of Apple using a Motorola PoS device that happens to use WinCE for the OS. Apple didn?t have a mobile OS or mobile device until well after these were in play. Apple also doesn?t make PoS devices. If this is funny then why is not funny that Apple make software for Windows and MS makes software for OS X? I just don?t get it.



    I don't get it either. it is rather sad to blame the device when you really don't know where the defects are. It easy to sit there and have a laugh with the sales rep over a software issue, but that fault could be happening any where in the stack of apps making up Apples retail system.

    Quote:



    Also, are the issue with the SYmbol devices from the OS, the app or the HW.



    PS: Ireland might disagree that Apple?s devices will stay connected to WiFI better than the Symbol devices



    I don't know about Ireland but having worked with a wide range of bar code hardware in an industrial setting I have to say that the hardware is seldom the problem. Software on the other hand is, especially in a corporate manufacturing/warehousing situation where there is never enough time. Since I work with everything from bar code reading equipment to heavy industrial machines running CE I just can support the negativity here with respect to Win CE. The thing is you need to put blame where it belongs, and I'm not sure people here are placing that blame properly.

    Quote:



    Look who you are referring to. He claims their mission statement every week. You can?t expect anything close to a balanced, adult answer. How old is there mission statement from last revision? More than 20 years?



    I?ve had good results and I?ve had bad results. Mostly good. Putting the OS used aside, the devices do stand out among the rest of the store.



    Would a cash register from NCR stand out too?

    Quote:

    Those devices seem troublesome enough that if the Touches work out okay in testing it will easy for Apple to have plenty of these devices to use for the rush. If they are faster that means increased sales during busy periods. They can always fall back to the Symbol devices if need be.



    Well we can hope so. I'm just thinking from a conservative standpoint here.





    Dave
  • Reply 89 of 122
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. H View Post


    Dear all:



    teckstud has been given an infraction for insulting another poster early in the thread. This took his points total to 5, resulting in an automatic ban for 3 days.



    I have also deleted some later posts that attacked teckstud. Please don't bully people, even if you don't agree with the comments they make. If you don't like a comment, argue with the content of the post in a mature, robust manner; show the original poster with well-reasoned argument why they are wrong. Do not attack the poster on a personal level, even if you feel provoked.



    Thanks for reading, carry on!



    wow



    teckstud has gotten followed around for days by people attacking his posts

    these people did not address the topic

    i suspect these are long time members posting here under false names

    so many recent topics have been hijacked this way >>which is sad because this site is a world wide apple hangout with some cool members and great apple info

    how petty we must look at times





    teckstud does nail down some great points some times

    other times i wholly dis agree

    but i do not attack him



    peace



    9
  • Reply 90 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    Out of curiosity, what is that software?



    If you must know, SDC Platinum, SPSS (the latest version), and being able to access some specialized library software where I work.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    And in an honest reply, was the purchase of XP worth it to you for that software in hindsight?



    (I'll ignore the insulting part of your question: FYI, I always try to be honest). Yes.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    I've not run into any one who buys windows for that PC-only program, so I'm curious. Most I see get it so they can use MS Office, which they can get for the Mac.



    The fact that you've not run into anyone that buys PC software for other than MS Office says diddley-squat. You should not generalize based on your experience.
  • Reply 91 of 122
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Don't laugh- It's taken Apple 5 years to get their own?



    You mean, It's taken Apple 5 years to get it done right the first time!



    Quote:

    Who knew Microsoft was such an innovator?



    Yeah, it's been real busy innovating with Vista and OS 7 (the corrected Vista) and Zune. And how many years from Windows 95 (the last OS worth a damn, at least to those that felt no need to advance any further to a new MS OS) to Windows 7?...



    Hhmmm... 95... to 7... sound like a countdown to detonation, ruination and damnation!



    Five, ive, ive, ive; Four, or, or, or; Three, ree, ree, ree, Two, woo, woo, woo, One! I would make some big explosion type sound here, but we're talking Microsoft, so we know it'll just fizzle out like the duds we've come to know and love and playfully ridicule every now and then!
  • Reply 92 of 122
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,755member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    I've had problems with sales people using these for some time. When we got our iPhones September 2008, the device our sales person had kept screwing up. It got so bad, the we had to use my wife's credit card and name instead of mine, because after breaking down the third time, it wouldn't allow mine to be entered again. She ended having to go to the back, where they fixed the problems before we could finish our transaction. I'm not alone in this.



    No your not. In fact, I just walk to the permanent terminal that's at the end of the Genius bar whenever I need something - I don't bother trying to track down a roamer. In addition to the large theater in the back, one of my favorite features of the Tyson's Corner Apple Store in Northern VA is the permanent cash register island.
  • Reply 93 of 122
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I agree that it's a joke. I don't think it's a very good one though, and I think it's out of place in a relatively serious article.



    I thought when I read it in the article that it really shouldn't have been there. This is the problem with the articles by Prince and David. A perfectly good article will be made controversial because of some off the cuff digs at MS or others that they can't seem to refrain from making.



    But, still it was a joke, and I'm surprised that Techstud couldn't see that, or that some others couldn't see that.
  • Reply 94 of 122
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    Got a link for info on that?



    Sure. I'm using the beta hardware right now, which they gave me to test at the AES convention a short while ago.



    http://studiosixdigital.com/



    Let me know what you think.
  • Reply 95 of 122
    mytdavemytdave Posts: 447member
    It's about time. In fact, when they first rolled out these WinCE devices at the Apple stores, I thought "too bad the Newton got Steved" or they would have had a mobile platform to run their own solution. When the iPhone came out, I immediately thought they should work on a POS system for it. And now here we are, and of course the Touch is an even better fit for the Apple store environment.



    Having experienced both functional and dysfunctional transactions at Apple stores, I'm encouraged with this news of switching to their own devices. I hope they work well. I'm not so sure it's a good idea to switch right before the year's biggest shopping season, but I can't imagine even an unproven iPod solution would be any worse.



    As for the shirts, I'm glad they're ditching the many colors. I could probably stand around for a while trying to figure out which color I'm supposed to talk to for the given issue, but I just don't care - I just want assistance when I walk into the store, so I talk to the first employee I see regardless of which color they're wearing. Good riddance to the rainbow of shirts.



  • Reply 96 of 122
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    I'm not sure how you can say this, I likewise have made several purchases in our local Apple store without issue. As to implementation of new technology for the most part it is up to the application software to work correctly. My problem with a transition, By Apple around this time of the year is that Apple is not invincible when it comes to software apps. That is if Apple is doing the software internally, who knows what a third parties track record is.



    I can say it from experience. I'm far from the only one. It's been reported upon in the NY Times and other papers as well.



    Quote:

    I'm not sure where the idea that CE isn't reliable comes from. It is used extensively in industrial applications. It certainly isn't perfect but what OS is?



    It's never been reliable. MS does offer stripped down versions for embedded use that are not really CE as most people think of it. Cutting out most of the consumer features and just leaving the simple realtime core helps.



    Quote:

    The thing here is you are blaming the terminal running CE for performance problems when you have no way to know where the problem is. It could be CE but just as easily issues with the app running on the device, Apples backend servers, the credit card company or for the iPhones AT&T.



    Dave



    Seems to be the device itself from what I've read.



    We'll see when Apple has their own. If most of the problems go away, then we'll know it was the device. If they don't, then we'll know the problem is elsewhere.



    If it's out for the holidays, we'll know shortly.
  • Reply 97 of 122
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DocNo42 View Post


    No your not. In fact, I just walk to the permanent terminal that's at the end of the Genius bar whenever I need something - I don't bother trying to track down a roamer. In addition to the large theater in the back, one of my favorite features of the Tyson's Corner Apple Store in Northern VA is the permanent cash register island.



    We didn't "track down" anyone. We stood in line with all the other peasants, some from other countries. When our names were called as next in line, we went with the person assigned to us to buy our phones. We had no choice as to where we could go.



    The times I've used a salesperson out of line, or from when I actually was in line, that person came to us, and asked what we were buying. he or she said that they could take care of it, and so we let them.



    Stop making assumptions.
  • Reply 98 of 122
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    The times I've had problems with Windows, the fix was usually quite simple. The times I've had problems with Mac OS X, the fix usually included command line stuff (not as simple). Mind you, Windows has more minor problems than the number of Major problems on the mac, making it so it was really just a wash of which one was easier to maintain. The mac would perform without problems longer, but when they happen, it was usually catastrophic.



    I don't recall ever having to go to terminal to repair a Mac. I'm sure it's fewer than the times I've had to go to regedit, though thankfully that was rare.
  • Reply 99 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    Actually, this sounds like really poorly written POS software. Blame them first.



    That is true, however, it is a big company, they have good support, if by it costing $130 an hour.



    But, again, that's why I called it pos POS software.
  • Reply 100 of 122
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Seems to be the device itself from what I've read.



    Unless the build quality has changed under Motorola, the Symbol devices always worked really well (unless the user was not so kind to it)
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