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How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

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Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#21

Post by TomK32 »

bena wrote: post #7
rpowers wrote: post #3

TLDR - Square made a PoS machine. It is an Android tablet(s).

I often notice that most things now are basically "Android tablets". Those little machines popping up in restaurants where you can order/pay? Android tablets. Have a relatively recent car? Got CarPlay? Your stereo is probably an Android tablet. So this isn't too surprising. Instead of spending whatever amount of time trying to design and build an embedded system, along with basic OS, library, etc, you can just find a…

Yes, the magic of being open to other hw/sw manufacturers. all over again...

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#22

Post by chrystianv »

asavadatti wrote: post #19
tbirrell wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flash memory == RAM I think...

That's a whole lot of RAM for a POS device. Maybe this is the device that finally runs Crysis?

16 GB of RAM for an Android tablet that is only running the square software is probably way too much. I suspect the writer meant that it has 16 GB of storage.

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#23

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

mintplant wrote: post #2

> OK, not really; streaming Netflix on something designed to be a point-of-sale-system is a terrible idea, worse than watching movies on a Linux-based in-flight entertainment system. Is there a term equivalent to "suspension of disbelief", but for non-fictional writing? This broke mine. I don't know what Linux has to do with anything here.

It's just the typical hipster journalist looking for any excuse possible to justify Apple status signalling. You have to create something to sneer at before you can feel smug and superior about what OS a proper POS terminal should run before allowing it to process your black card.

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#25

Post by tootie »

bena wrote: post #7
rpowers wrote: post #3

TLDR - Square made a PoS machine. It is an Android tablet(s).

I often notice that most things now are basically "Android tablets". Those little machines popping up in restaurants where you can order/pay? Android tablets. Have a relatively recent car? Got CarPlay? Your stereo is probably an Android tablet. So this isn't too surprising. Instead of spending whatever amount of time trying to design and build an embedded system, along with basic OS, library, etc, you can just find a…

It drives me up a fucking wall when clients want iPads for their retail spaces. You are locked into their limited form factors and premium pricing for a device that will likely be locked down to extremely limited functionality. Android tablets come in any size and shape for half the price and are easier to manage from MDM software. You can also just buy large touchscreens with USB ports that can plug into whatever. They all look the same when they're anchored to a case or kiosk.

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#26

Post by Kluny »

mintplant wrote: post #2

> OK, not really; streaming Netflix on something designed to be a point-of-sale-system is a terrible idea, worse than watching movies on a Linux-based in-flight entertainment system. Is there a term equivalent to "suspension of disbelief", but for non-fictional writing? This broke mine. I don't know what Linux has to do with anything here.

Yeah, like aren't in-flight entertainment systems.... literally linux based these days? They're android tablets!

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#27

Post by StudentStuff »

cpeterso wrote: post #20
Isamu wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it was more a matter of total control, over the OS, the hardware specs, etc. They needed to provide a better turn-key experience for their users, including taking into account what long-term maintenance is like.

Square on iPads has inadvertently given Apple a beachhead in retail stores. I imagine Square wants these new devices to block Apple from converting these retail iPad users to a competing Apple services.

Apple isn't interested in getting into a shrinking industry like retail. The hand holding and R&D required are extensive, and don't generate enough profit to meet Apple's margin goals.

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#28

Post by nkozyra »

tbirrell wrote: post #17
chrystianv wrote: post #10

"Square’s tablet has 16 gigabytes of flash memory but hardly any internal storage" I am very confused by that sentence.

Flash memory == RAM I think...

In this case I believe it means in the traditional sense, not ephemeral storage.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#29

Post by yitchelle »

chrystianv wrote: post #10

"Square’s tablet has 16 gigabytes of flash memory but hardly any internal storage" I am very confused by that sentence.

Flash memory is non-volatile memory. Typically used to hold the executable and some data for localisation.

Not 100% sure what is meant here for internal storage. Sometimes, it may be possible to use the Flash memory for general data as well. The SSD in your laptop is made from similar Flash memory technology.

Re: How Square Made Its Own iPad Replacement

#30

Post by nkozyra »

mbreese wrote: post #5
mintplant wrote: post #2

> OK, not really; streaming Netflix on something designed to be a point-of-sale-system is a terrible idea, worse than watching movies on a Linux-based in-flight entertainment system. Is there a term equivalent to "suspension of disbelief", but for non-fictional writing? This broke mine. I don't know what Linux has to do with anything here.

It gives the reader some context. Many of the readers of this will have had the unfortunate experience of trying to watch an in flight movie on a Linux in seat entertainment system. Fewer will have used the Square POS system, particularly the new one.

It's a weird comment either way, because having a bad experience on the inflight entertainment system has nothing to do with the underlying OS.
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