Restaurant POS

My wife runs a restaurant here in Hillsboro, OR. I'm the unpaid tech support for her.. (well cant complain, i do get free lunches.. so well compensated i guess :-)).

When we purchased the place from a previous establishment, they had an existing POS, so we ended up using the same, since it appeared simple enough to use and configure. Its also runs on open hardware, unlike Micros/IBM solutions where you get locked in expensive hw and support after that..

After a while it started to bite.. The software support cost is just out of hand, (~$400 per year) poor support, useless forums (moderated)...

Some of the issues are around the model of sucking more money.. and the pathetic support they have. For instance.

1. Each terminal has separate licence.. ~$400 each.
2. Each can be activated only 4 times.. i.e if your hardware fails/switch Ethernet cards, you need to activate. When we purchased it from previous owner, we needed to transfer.. so that's 1 activations, and my hardware broke so that's another... and the prior owner activated his when he purchased.. that's 3 out of 4. That's completely crap.
3. Database they use is MSFT... i cant even do a backup without having to quit the software connected to all stations.
4. Any bug is categorized as Working as designed by their top support folks.... meaning its a feature not available in that software and its intended to be not available.
5. The forums are available only if you pay for an entire year of support.. yes.. including the knowledge base...
   
6. The forum comments are moderated.. so if you say there is a bug, and the support team feels empowered to give you "Working as Designed (WAD)", then your post wont make it. Since its giving a wrong impression about their software.
7. They have a forum for suggestion/enhancement requests.. all of them get removed randomly.. and there is no feedback to customer in terms of if they are considered, or shelved by the teams..
8. Tip accounting, Net sales, Gift Card accounting when discounted, ability to print duplicates of CC receipts, email alerts.. among several that's missing...
   

And no escalation path..when you call it just goes to the same person, i called sales to escalate, ended up the same guy replying to my email... a sales guy said "send to attn: management team" even that went to the same guy who has been blocking my posts.

Now.. trust me, there is no fowl language in my blocked post.. just that the guy feels I'm trying to spread incorrect information about their SW. That's rude.

So growing around open source at the place i work for the last 15 years.. i decided to hunt for a Linux version of POS.. and stumbled upon ViewTouch POS.. and surprisingly homegrown in Eugene Oregon. Gene Mosher the founder seems to have several years of experience in POS, and its based on Linux, my favorite OpenSource OS. I have a list of capabilities that my current POS software (Aldelo) cant address. I'm going to post a list of those requirements and going to evaluate ViewTouch for those features and go from there.

Hopefully i will succeed by the end of year to get a decent path to live and breathe freely without shackles, able to fix and maintain without having to pay for support when not necessary, have a free community support, and don't need to look at their knowledge base...

Signing off.

Werid i would think these would influence Global Warming..

This is a bit humorous to me... Folks i re-iterate this is only for the humor value OK!

Bicyclists and Joggers on the road.. I think there is 2 big issues here. One, that this is a serious hazard for others on the road, since we need to adjust to the jogger or bicyclist on the road. I think in addition, by slowing down every car spends more gas burning hydrocarbons... thereby increasing global warming :-)

Stop Signs. They are useful in some areas, but i have seen them in certain neighbourhoods such as Murray rd in Beaverton, where this is just simply pain. 9-10 times my stopping is just formality, i have never ever seen a pedestrians, or another car waiting to cross. Again this is certainly contributing to global warming.

Pedestrians in shopping areas. I really hate people walking right behind my vehicle when I'm trying to backup from my parking lot in Costo or such. Its strange, the guy walking behind me has immediate knowledge that i'am coming behind, but still chooses his right of way to be directly positioned in a spot that I have real hard time looking into. Why wouldn't they want to stop or take a different path so i can just backup my vehicle?

The country should make these a bit more practical, i understand people need to cross the road, but consider a place like in front of BestBuy/Winco in Sunset Mall. People would just cross in random intervals not even considering the car is idling to just move ahead. They could put some signals there so pedestrians don't get to choose to walk by always, but be a bit more fair to share the road to cars and keep the pedestrians on pavement where they belong.

Its time for change America!

History in the making....

It was a moment yesterday... a unique chapter was being written that marks a change in America and truly the rest of the world. For the first time, a presidential address that talked about compassion, making forward progress. Two million people, and not a single arrest. Every word Obama spoke was powerful, meaningful and it was clear he spoke those with passion. A 20 minute address, that for the first time spoke some of the bigger religions around, Christians, Hindus.. calling for peace.

John. G Roberts lived up to his nominees expectations... as Chief Justice.. un-der prepared and unable to repeat the words correctly even after Obama gave him a chance to recover, clumsy.. just like the outgoing president.

The costumes.... awesome...Appreciate Michelle Obama for giving young and unknown designers a chance to be part of history, defining first lady by design and not following a traditional color that most would have chosen.

Hope corporate America would be less greedy, and return the country's economy back to where it belongs, hope that religions factions would find a way to live and let others live in peace.

Obama has set himself aside compared to any i have seen so far...

Now its about time, we pick ourselfs up, dust off and get back to work... so off i go..

Media should leave John Travolta alone...

Its really sad to see how celebrities have to deal with personal loss like this one that John Travolta has to go through. I think the media should respect privacy and just not hunt them down even in moments like this. The couple lost their son who was medically ill, and now every one who has had contact with them those days are being looking for their moment on TV which is so sad and inhumane IMHO.

Being a celebrity is like a double edge sword. The same media that game them the popularity is also drowning you when you have a grieving moment. This is not a time to try and figure out scientology was the cause... Just leave em alone and quit peeking at personal life...

Winter Wunderland @Portland this december...

Okydok... it usually only lasts a couple days.. this time its getting to be close to 2 weeks. Is this all global warming heh?

Spending time with family for the first week was all great.... lots of table tennis at basement, Many movies from Hollywood (we just signed up for the month plan), borrowed more movies from neighbors... its great...

I have no chains now, so stuck at home.. got them 2006, but never knew how to use them. So we ended up giving it back to Les Schwab. Here is a video from Les Schwab.

Here are some pictures of our deck. Now i promise i took some pictures of our family, but fate was not on my side.. i forgot to put the stinking flash card..

I was so dead yesterday :-).. especially with the snow, i cant even run away and take cover from the fire my family was venting at me :-)

My first attempt to use sms blog..

3rd day home alone. 2 movies back to back with my son after bowling in Sunset lanes. Great time. He is still in bed.. i wokeup early to make sure my dog does'nt go hungry.

Alright... lots of bills to clearup before the week starts.

Chao!

Home alone for a week...

My wife always finds a reason to go visit home. Well, this time 2 of her relatives are getting married and nothing could stop... so here iam taking care of my 8 year old and the only one who has the best greeting when i get back home... yep thats my dog.

Yesterday Day1: Stopped the alarm and woke up late.. somehow managed to get my son ready for school in 30 mins!

Day2 Today: Lucky its a weekend, Breakfast is done. Piano at 10:15, lunch, and then need to figure out homework and some entertainment before dinner... Phew.. dont know how my wife pulls this off everyday... just 2 days and iam exhausted to even thing what i have been through!

Waiting for next friday to return!