>On my first trip I scanned the kiosks on the second level. I saw >only brands of computers that would be typically running Windows, and >they all appeared to be doing do. The next day I scanned all, or >most of the kiosks on the first level. Again, Windows machines were >all that I saw.
Yes it makes good sense, but not in the way you imply. Macs are typically found in situations where users select the computer for themselves being motivated to select the right tool for their job. What you are seeing is a very different situation. To understand what you are seeing you need to consider the supply chain, who makes the decisions, and the motivation behind those decisions. The POS computers you see are supplied to the merchants by system integrators. While the merchants are the ones who ultimately pay for the computers, they are not the ones making the selection. The selection of the computer included in the POS system is made by the system integrator. The system is sold on the capabilities of the system and the price. The specific hardware is probably never mentioned. The system integrator's motivation is to purchace the absolute cheapest POS, since they are purchasing many systems even a small difference in price will amount to a considerable sum. It is unlikely that the quality of the hardware provided will have much influence on the price they can charge for the system. Providing Macs would go against the interests of the system integrator. System integrators also have a second motivation: to sell support services. To this end they have every motivation to provide a system that will require such services. They want a computer that will do the job, but not do it too well. Providing Macs would go against the interests of the system integrator. ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
