On Tue, 06 Mar 2007, Don Gould wrote: > Andrew, > > Nature of the location means this wouldn't work. Location doesn't sell > coffee. Customers would leave without paying. Nature of accounting system won't stop that. For only 4 terminals pencil and paper is the way to go. Take half an hour up-front. Put manned till beside single door.
> I did give consideration to this when I was looking over the place tonight. > > If we man the other project I'm working on, then this is exactly how we > will do it. > > $3/h is also far to high for the client-tel. Go bust then. I believe $2.50 is the going rate atm. That's for big rooms with many more than only 4 machines. For 4 machines in continuous use that's only $10/hour, which might just pay for a not very bright pimply youth. You'll have to have another quite good source of income as well to cover the overheads. You might care to look at http://extragear.kde.org/apps/kiosktool/ I've not played with it, but it's written by Waldo Bastian, so it has a good pedigree. Amy Linux distro would do well for an Internet Cafe. For only 4 machines I'd be very tempted to do a LTSP system with a server machine and as many P2 / P3 el cheapos as needed for the terminals. Yes I have done that! ftp://ftp.skolelinux.no/skolelinux/knoppixes/bestix http://www.bestix.org/html/bestix.html > Andrew Errington wrote: > > On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:12, you wrote: > >> Based on your personal experience having downloaded, installed and set > >> up (if only for a play with) and not just "I read about it on Google"... > >> > >> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to run a small internet > >> cafe of 4 computers. > >> > >> Requirements - Suggested... > >> > >> The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on it from the counter. > >> > >> The user would then punch the number into the web browser page on the > >> computer and then be given either a set time or set amount of data to > >> play with. > >> > >> That's it... really simple. > > > > I have a simpler suggestion. A piece of paper and a pencil. User > > arrives at the counter. Staff notes time of arrival. User uses computer > > and returns to counter. Staff notes finish time, calculates cost, takes > > money, makes change, discusses weather etc. > > > > Cost is $3/hr, prorated on a non-linear scale. Any more and it's too > > expensive. Make your money on the coffee. > > > > A
