slow check out at grocery store

[Guest]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory or
Ram, what do you think .

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I told her that the computer needed more memory or
Ram, what do you think .

I think I couldn't care less.

 

[Guest]

Who the heck could tell via the newsgroup.
I suspect the communication line myself, but who knows.

 

[Ghostrider]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory or
Ram, what do you think .

It might not be the computers at the checkout stand that is causing
the slowdown but the server or the connection between the checkout to
the store's server to the Internet to the bank. Sometimes, this might
not even be an Ethernet connection but a dial-up one to the bank's card
center's modem pool. There are a lot of variables that ae involved.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory
or
Ram, what do you think .

I'm sure there's not enough information about the systems in place to offer
an opinion about the PCs. But if there are limited lines for debit
transactions and separate calls are made, there will be waits, and the waits
will have nothing at all to do with the PCs.

HTH
-pk

 

[Lil' Dave]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out

How would you know that?

registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except

Maybe "accept"?

my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory
or
Ram, what do you think .

There may be one computer per register.
Each computer may be tied to the home office server, the local bank, and
credit authorities. The home office could be uploading data, affecting
operation times of the registers.
You might consider warming the bench some more..
Dave

 

[Vanguard]

in message

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check
out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time
to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the
same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more
memory or
Ram, what do you think .

Nothing to do with the OS on the cash machine. All to do with the
credit check company they use being too busy or an outage.

Stop trying to impress the checkout girl with pretend knowledge.

 

[Guest]

Thanks
--
Benchwarmer

How would you know that?


Maybe "accept"?


There may be one computer per register.
Each computer may be tied to the home office server, the local bank, and
credit authorities. The home office could be uploading data, affecting
operation times of the registers.
You might consider warming the bench some more..
Dave

 

[Guest]

Thanks A. Holes
--
Benchwarmer

Thanks

 

[Curt Christianson]

| Stop trying to impress the checkout girl with pretend knowledge.


If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle 'em with bullsh** !

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm



| "Benchwarmer" wrote in message
| | >I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check
| >out
| > registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time
| > to
| > except
| > my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the
| > same
| > time
| > the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more
| > memory or
| > Ram, what do you think .
|
| Nothing to do with the OS on the cash machine. All to do with the
| credit check company they use being too busy or an outage.
|
| Stop trying to impress the checkout girl with pretend knowledge.
|
|
|

 

[dobey]

| Stop trying to impress the checkout girl with pretend knowledge.


If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle 'em with bullsh** !

Maybe he should tell her he is an MS-MVP - If that doesn't make her swoon
nothing will!!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory
or
Ram, what do you think .

They can tell by keeping a tab on the disk activity. If it churns
a lot then you might be right. However, this is really something
that their support person should examine in detail. As a customer
you know next to nothing about their system and a throw-away
remark like "Add more memory" can cause more problems than
it resolves. If the card transaction involves validation with some
other system then the delay is far more likely to be caused by
a slow or wrongly configured link.

 

[Guest]

Thank you Pegasus the grocery store has five cash registers that run off one
computer untill a few months ago they were running windows 2000 , I'am just
trying to learn about computers i'am not as smart as those computer nerds,
but I
have a lot better manners I just figured It was just to much for that one
computer to handle . I'am learning and I hope I don't never get as arrogrant
as your friends
Thank you

 

[Bob I]

Likely they only have one phone line out to run the credit card machines on.

 

[Guest]

I was an IS Director of a supermarket chain for over 20 years and cannot
believe someone would be using Windows XP as a POS (Point Of Sale) software.
Most companies use a proprietary high-end software. IBM for instance uses
FLEX-OS that they developed themselves many years ago and keep updating much
like Microsoft. I'm not saying it won't work but I can't imagine.
As far as the card reader, it depends on how the data is sent for bank
sorting and verifing. If it's dial-up or satellite, I can understand it being
slow. They should be using eithernet through HUB with relay switching.

 

[Umma Gumma]

I go to a local grocery store that uses windows xp to run it's check out
registers, and when I use my Debit Card sometimes it takes a long time to
except
my card. today a girl told me that when they use two registers at the same
time
the computer is real slow. I told her that the computer needed more memory
or
Ram, what do you think .

Shop at a different store dood!