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By Julie Kanaan
The best Tablet POS System is Surface by Microsoft
We've compared the market and found Surface Pro 4 Tablet Point of Sale to have the best features for small to medium hospitality businesses and here's why.
The best Tablet POS System is Surface by Microsoft
We've compared the market and found Surface Pro 4 Tablet Point of Sale to have the best features for small to medium hospitality businesses and here's why.
Background
Since the introduction of iPad (by Apple), Samsung and Android have designed their very own tablet style devices to compete with the iPads, to great success too. This left Microsoft out of contention for a wide market, so they had to come up with a competitive product. In the early 2013, Microsoft introduced the first of its Surface devices, it was later called Surface Pro 1. Since 2013 and the company has introduced many updates and upgrades, the most recent and most popular device is Surface Pro 4.
What is Tablet POS
In the early 2000s and with the introduction of bulky 15” inch point of sale systems to replace traditional cash registers, there was an urgent need for smaller and faster system solutions for small businesses. The 15 inch screens were expensive and highly ineffective for small takeaway shops and more importantly, they could not replace a traditional cash register.
Initially, a tablet point of sale system was a set of: iPad, software, cash drawer and a receipt printer. With the recent introductions of Samsung's Tab and Microsoft Surface devices, these tablet POS Systems can come in different shapes and pricing structures.
Why Surface
Let us look at the iPad solutions first. The technology uses cloud hosting, which is the technology to store data and information on a remote server. This requires internet and because printers are cloud based, there is no direct (physical) connection between the iPad and the printers – instead it is connected over Internet. This entire process results in a slow day-to-day workflow and is generally frustrating to end users, especially in remote areas where internet (still) drops out often.
On the other hand, Surface devices are extremely fast and store all information locally in a hard drive mounted inside the machine. Printers are connected via USB and there is no Internet required for day-to-day process.
One other key factor is the ongoing fees that come with iPad Systems. Cloud hosting means that there is a monthly charge for storing the information offshore, whereas Surface solutions don't come with ongoing fees.
Summary
If you're in the market for a fast, effective tablet point of sale solution for a coffee shop or medium size restaurant, we highly recommend a Surface Bundle. SASSCO POS Systems (Australia) are offering complete tablet systems for $2,995 and it includes all hardware, software and free menu setup. Check out this link for more: https://sassco.com.au/pos-systems/bundles/surface-tablet-pos/
View our POS Suite product range