Apple plans to 'upgrade' San Francisco International airport

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 25
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,931member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Does anything in airports run Windows? If so that's a huge security risk.
    You name it and it probably runs Windows if it has a display attached for users or connects to a Windows product or service at some point.






    Even a new and modern airport in Dubai will rely on MS...
    Oh yeah..... let's hope there's a Mac roll out.

    There won't be because Apple doesn't license their OS for vendors of these products. While I'd love them to—which would also be welcome to many here—they've pulled away from this as an option and would have a long way to go to make this a reality. It's a lot more likely that Android or a now unknown OS built from a Linux kernel will eventually replace Windows on embedded devices, not macOS.
    Remember a few years ago when MS finally quit supporting Windows XP? (Or was it NT?) It was an old operating system, but there was a ton of equipment that still used it (ATMs, etc) Devices like that don’t need the latest features but they do need to do their one job well and be reliable. An old OS that has had time to get all the bugs worked out is far preferable to a brand new one for such applications. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 22 of 25
    Just flew United in and out of SFO.  Their issues there have little to do with what Apple typically offers, what's needed is along the lines of luggage policy, gate logistics and boarding.  I would expect them to key on San Jose - Anything I did with Apple was in and out of SJC, much simpler and closer.  
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 23 of 25
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    MplsP said:
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Does anything in airports run Windows? If so that's a huge security risk.
    You name it and it probably runs Windows if it has a display attached for users or connects to a Windows product or service at some point.






    Even a new and modern airport in Dubai will rely on MS...
    Oh yeah..... let's hope there's a Mac roll out.

    There won't be because Apple doesn't license their OS for vendors of these products. While I'd love them to—which would also be welcome to many here—they've pulled away from this as an option and would have a long way to go to make this a reality. It's a lot more likely that Android or a now unknown OS built from a Linux kernel will eventually replace Windows on embedded devices, not macOS.
    Remember a few years ago when MS finally quit supporting Windows XP? (Or was it NT?) It was an old operating system, but there was a ton of equipment that still used it (ATMs, etc) Devices like that don’t need the latest features but they do need to do their one job well and be reliable. An old OS that has had time to get all the bugs worked out is far preferable to a brand new one for such applications. 
    Those old OS's weren't typically left to run because they were more stable* but because the companies were too cheap (or lacked expertise) to update them.  They were vulnerable to hackers -- but, too often, it was their customer that bore the risk rather than the company.

    * That said, I spent 20 years with an IT organization whose stated strategy was to leverage 2nd generation equipment -- because it was both more stable and a LOT cheaper.  (But they never ran outdated equipment of software.   There's a fine line.)
    edited October 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 25
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Does anything in airports run Windows? If so that's a huge security risk.
    You name it and it probably runs Windows if it has a display attached for users or connects to a Windows product or service at some point.






    Even a new and modern airport in Dubai will rely on MS...
    Oh yeah..... let's hope there's a Mac roll out.

    There won't be because Apple doesn't license their OS for vendors of these products. While I'd love them to—which would also be welcome to many here—they've pulled away from this as an option and would have a long way to go to make this a reality. It's a lot more likely that Android or a now unknown OS built from a Linux kernel will eventually replace Windows on embedded devices, not macOS.
    These things are literally just a PC housed in a case. I’ve worked on these systems before and they could easily be replaced with a Mac Mini so long as drivers exist for the printers and scanners. The difficult bit would be getting software written to handle the printing and scanning of tickets and boarding passes.
    I've worked on these across a wide range of products and they are not "literally just a PC housed in a case." They are using Windows in various forms, but they are not personal computers. These machines are the computer and they have ports and HW not found in any personal computer on the market. There is no situation where you can just pop a Mac mini inside to replace it with a WinPC using a microATX or some other SFF board in a svelte casing that could be swapped out.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 25 of 25
    Apple Tags so we can track our bags through their system in real time, from the time it loads into the plane, then gets unloaded, sorted and put into baggage claim. 
    Delta already does this, and regularly texts you updates.
    watto_cobra
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