Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thermal Point of Sale Printers in Restaurants
Thermal printing takes place when a heated printhead contacts thermal paper. As the paper passes over the heated printhead the paper turns black at each place it is heated, creating words or images. Other colors are sometimes possible by applying heat at different temperatures to specially designed paper.
In 1993 only 5% of POS printers were thermal printers. By 2007 that percentage increased to over 34%.
Why use a thermal receipt printer in your restaurant?
- Speed. Thermal printing is up to seven times faster then impact printing.
- Moves the check out line quicker.
- May eliminate the need for two ply paper since the printer can print a second receipt while the customer is signing the first.
- Faster transactions lead to better customer service.
- Faster print speeds allow large volume restaurants to reduce the number of servers/cashiers used, saving payroll costs.
- Most POS software can buffer the entire transaction and print the customer receipt at the end of the sale with all products organized with discounts. Impact printers would take too long to print out that information at the end of a sale.
Noise level - Thermal printheads have no moving parts and are therefore quieter then impact printers. With the terminals of your restaurants POS system generally located in the customer area, a quiet receipt printer leads to a better customer experience.
Reliability - Thermal receipt printers use printheads that are about three inches wide and have no moving parts, on the other hand impact printers have about twenty or more moving parts and electrical devices. The printhead covers the whole width of the paper therefore printing one full line at a time. With no moving parts thermal printers are less likely to wear out. Less down time and fewer repairs directly affect your bottom line profitability.
Thermal printers are durable and easy to use. Because there is no ribbon, thermal printers cost less to operate than impact printers. Most mobile printers are thermal
High Quality Printing
- Prints crisp bar codes for coupons and or to simplify returns.
- Use of 2 color printing to emphasize certain information on the receipt.
- Use of font enhancements to generate customer loyalty from target markets, like using larger print for seniors
- Build brand identity by printing logos on customer receipts
When thermal technology first began the paper's short shelf life was a problem. Some customers needed to keep receipts for an extended period of time and restaurants needed to keep credit card receipts in case of chargebacks. The thermal paper that is produced today can print receipts after being stored for up to five years and the printed receipts, when properly stored in closed containers and in normal indoor temperatures, can last for seven years or more. Thermal printing results from heat and therefore should be protected from high temperature both before and after it is printed.
In today's economy printer choice contributes to your restaurant's profitability. By choosing a thermal printer for the customer areas of your restaurant you will most likely see a decrease in total cost of ownership and an increase in customer service.
Mr. Scott is known for his years of experience in restaurant management and consulting with small to medium retailers across the country.
My POS Printer.com has replacement printers for all types of point of sale systems. Star Micronics printers and Epson printers with free shipping.
How to Choose a Video Card
Want to know what piece of technology is changing most rapidly in the world of computer? That's right - video cards. The rate at which video cards come out is simply mind boggling. We're looking at a whole plethora of video cards based on graphics processors from ATI and Nvidia. Which card should you choose? Will it be good enough?
Well, this article will help you make some sense of this fast changing technology and enable you to choose the best video card for your computing needs.
The best way to see what video card to buy is to consider how you're using your computer now. There are several categories:
There are several categories:
- Server
- Simple Applications
- Complex Applications
- General Gaming
- Hard-Core Gaming
Server
If you're using your computer as a mail server, FTP server, print server, or even a game server, you definitely do not need a high-end video card. Look for a low-end card like the Diablotek ATI Rage XL.
Simple Applications
Say you're using the PC for simple applications only, for example, word processing, email or web surfing. Again, you do not need the best video card out there. A cheap and decent one will do the trick.
Complex Applications
If you need to perform more complex tasks like 3D computer aided design or video editing, it will make more sense to go for a heavy duty card. Screen resolution and image quality tend to be important factors for this type of work. Look for a video card whose processor which supports a high screen resolution, with ample graphics memory. A good choice would be the XFX GeForce FX 5500.
General Games
If you'll only play simple games like Minesweeper, Reversi or Backgammon, then my advice is to save your money and just get a simple video card. No need for the latest 3D graphics gizmo.
Hard-Core Gaming
On the other hand, if you live on intense, real-time 3D games like Unreal Tournament and Battlefield 2, you'll want to get the latest 3D graphics card like the Connect 3D Radeon X850 XT Platinum. These games require extremely powerful cards which support a variety of graphics effects like anti-aliasing, Z-buffering, vertex shaders, etc.
Conclusion
In summary, you should always consider your needs first before going out to buy that video card. Video cards, especially the latest models, tend to be prohibitively expensive. If you only need to do general computer stuff, then don't shell out cash for the newer cards like the Connect 3D Radeon X850 XT Platinum. Go for some of the cheaper video cards like the Diablotek ATI Rage XL. Do your homework, read up the manufacturer's online manuals before making your purchase decision.
Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his website at Build-Your-Own-Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.
CECT A988 - Dual Sim Texting Plus TV Mobile Phone - Interestingly Innovative
At first glance, it may be hard to understand how imports from China that really started out as copy cats on popular cell phones became so popular. After all, popular cell phones are readily available both in the US and over seas.
In my humble opinion based on my own experience, the reason for the clones' popularity is because they legitimately fixed and improved upon problems with the original products that they were copying.
For example, the CECT line of clones noticed that although consumers were in love with most of the iPhone's features, they did not like: having to go to the dealer to remove the battery; having to use AT&T service if they didn't want to; and having to carry two phones if they needed two phone numbers.
The manufacturer saw this opportunity and jumped on it by introducing dual sim phones (two phone numbers or plans in one phone) which had removable batteries and slide unlock features so that consumers could use whatever carrier they wished.
Now, CECT has taken this technology one step further with the introduction of the A988. The A988 has added the "TV out" feature which means that the phone plugs into any TV so that can you watch your video on the big screen. Unlike many of the clones, the A988 has a keypad on the base of the phone (along with handwriting recognition) so that advanced texting is very easy on this phone. There are only a few iPhone clones built to text. The A988 is one and the N99i is another.
You can buy the A988 for anywhere between $100 and $150 depending on where you get it. As people are beginning to realize this phone has the TV feature, it is becoming more and more popular.
To see videos, photos, specs and real time rock bottom pricing on the CECT A988, click here.
To see videos, photos, specs and real time rock bottom pricing on the N99i, click here.
