Embedded versus PC-based terminal architecture
| Embedded POS Terminals | PC-based POS Terminals |
| Upfront costs similar to PC-based but total cost of ownership over long period of time is significantly less. | Basically, Upfront costs lower than ROM-based but maintenance/repair costs much higher due to moving parts such as hard disks and CPU fans. |
| Much more secure - terminal designed specifically for Point of Sale applications. Virus cannot infect ROM-based and no way to download other software not intended for system. | PC not specifically designed for POS applications. Viruses, stolen credit card information, software downloads, etc. can all affect system performance. HDD needs optimization from time to time. Windows updates cause both tentative and constant system slow down. |
| Designed for harsh restaurant and quick service operation environments with resistance to dust and grease.(Spill-proof with IP rating, no moving parts, solid state technology) | Not designed for harsh environments. CPU fan needed to cool most PC's. A control fan causes dust and grease to enter the PC. Water-cooling system is too expensive. |
| Support - simple to support with no need for recurring customer maintenance contracts. | Support - ongoing requirement for support with annual maintenance contracts. |
| Embedded operating system specifically designed for POS applications | Most PC-based systems rely on Microsoft Windows, which opens up the opportunity for technical issues. POS application runs under O/S therefore 2 software packages must be supported. |
| Firmware upgrades are possible via flash updates. No compatibility issues with Operating Systems. | Software upgrades and Operating Systems occasionally are at conflict with each other, thus requiring a higher level of support when upgrading POS application. |
| Data integrity/security - high due to design of ROM-based terminals. | Data integrity/security - Most POS applications utilize database system not specifically designed for POS applications, therefore open to corruption and security issues. |
| Hardware support - Min. 10 year availability of all parts. | Hardware support - Common for PC manufacturers to change boards, assemblies from one production to another, therefore it may be difficult to obtain exact replacement parts. Windows upgrade often requires hardware upgrade because of higher performance requirements as well as POS application upgrade. These ends up in higher costs and shorter product life. |
As you see, total cost of a PC POS could sum up nearly double of that of Embedded in the long run.
