Cash registers

Cash registers started life as glorified mechanical adding machines. These days, most cash registers are glorified electronic adding machines. There is a large and bewildering choice of cash registers for the small retailer - covering a wide range of price and functionality. Many smaller shops do not need the power of a computer EPOS software system, and there needs are well served by a cash register

The most simple cash registers start at around a hundred pounds. These are nothing more than a calculator with a small printer attached. You enter the prices of the items being purchased into the cash register, and it shows to total to collect. This is the basic level of cash register functionality. With increasing price comes increasing functionality. Departments to group sales together, a programmable PLU and hospitality functions are available in the next level of cash register - costing up to around 750 pounds. Above 1000 pounds, you get a colour touch screen display, links to computer software (Where the cash register is trying to be an EPOS system!) and multi till functionality.

What you actually get for your money is basically still a calculator. It is not a computer. A cash register is fundamentally different from a computer running EPOS software. It might have a touch screen and a receipt printer, but it is still best though of as an electronic device. Cash registers are not inherently powerful, but they are well designed for their purpose. The controller in your washing machine is an electronic device - and it does the job well, you do not need a powerful general purpose computing machine - you just need a cash register that does a very specific job.

Cash registers are also physically designed for their purpose. They are strong and physically reliable, they don't need an IT expert on hand to manage the operating system - all the "programming" is done via the device itself. This is probably the most annoying feature of cash registers. They are difficult to program. Most changes need to be made by typing in obscure and unnatural strings of characters on the limited keyboard, and you have to follow the manual - computer EPOS systems are much easier to setup!