Overview
Below are our guidelines for choosing a computer that will work with Cloud Retailer. Outside of the detailed specifications provided below, there is really one major overarching message: buy quality
Procedure
You might be able to save a few bucks on a cheap machine, and it will work but will it last? Especially with a POS station. If your computer goes down while you have customers waiting in line you damage your reputation and lose your ability to collect money. If, in general, you buy a computer that comes standard with a 3-year warranty (not something extra you buy - it comes standard), that's a very strong indication you're buying a machine that will last a long time. Someone like Dell doesn't put a 3-year warranty stamp on something unless they are basically positive they won't have to mess with it. We typically sell Dell's Optiplex PC's, they come with that magic warranty.
Additionally, if we're deploying on existing equipment, the short answer is if anything is over 5 years of age, it is a waste of energy to use it. While we hate throwing what appears to be working equipment out, we hate seeing customers throw good money after bad far more.
Whether you buy it from us or not, get new stuff. If we are responsible for deploying your software and the computers or peripherals are more than 5 years old we will give a "best-effort" to making it work but if we're unable to complete a given task within 30 minutes you will need to replace the device, even if the issue is a software issue (aka a hard to remove virus, etc).
⚠️ Important Note on Windows 11:
Windows 11 is not supported when using Microsoft RMS. Windows 11 is supported when using Cloud Retailer
⚠ Currently, we do not support any ARM-based processors, including the Surface Pro X, though other versions of the Surface Pro with i3, i5, or i7 processors work just fine.
POS COMPUTERS - TYPICAL USAGE
✔️ Windows 10/11 Pro/Enterprise - 64-bit (Windows 10 S is NOT supported)
✔️ 8 GB of RAM - if using for other tasks other than POS 16 GB is preferred.
✔️ 20GB Free Disk Space
✔️ Processor with at least:- 4 Cores
- 4 Threads
- 2.20 GHz Clockspeed
- Passmark score of 4400+
✔️ 6 USB ports on the BACK of the machine. A powered USB Hub is also an option for computers with fewer USB ports.
If you are buying a new computer, we'd recommend this specification as the minimum.
POS COMPUTERS - HEAVY LOAD / SPEED DESIRED
This means that you have:
➤ More than 40,000 products OR
➤ You have over 75,000 customer records OR
➤ If a given POS station is high volume, as in 800 or more sales transactions line items per day. If the average product you sell is $15 that would mean the individual POS station in question sells more than $12,000 per day on average.
✔️ Windows 10/11 Pro/Enterprise - 64-bit (Windows 10 S is NOT supported)
✔️ At least 16GB of RAM If you have more than 75,000 customer records AND will be using loyalty 32 GB of RAM and an SSD hard drive is desirable.
✔️ 40GB Free Disk Space
✔️ Processor with at least:- 6 Cores
- 6 Threads
- 3.0 GHz Clockspeed
- Passmark score of 7100+
✔️ 6 USB ports on the BACK of the machine. A powered USB Hub is also an option for computers with fewer USB ports.
BACK OFFICE COMPUTERS
We're less picky about back-office computers as it boils down to needing a Google Chrome web browser on the machine if you do not plan on using the POS app or printing labels. The back office program is accessible from a phone or a tablet (i.e., Surface Pro with i3, i5, or i7 processor, iPad with Google Chrome browser).
If you're buying a new back office computer for use with the back office and other things, here's what we'd recommend:
We suggest 8GB of RAM because typically back-office computers are using a variety of programs that end up using a lot of RAM - NOT because Cloud Retailer specifically needs it. Any existing machine to be used must be virus/malware and virus-free and in good working order, or additional charges will apply.
If you are a "buyer" and use elements of the system that display many many rows of data (Supplier Purchase Planning, for example), we'd suggest considering upping this specification for an optimal experience.
If you buy your computer from CLOUD RETAILER, it will be preconfigured by us, and you get a few added benefits:
✔️ When you plug it in, it's basically ready. No more taking an hour or so to go through the initial setup process and download updates, etc. Cloud Retailer and all of our needed utilities are preinstalled and tested. The machine is run on our bench for 48 hours to let burn-in and avoid sending the rare but occasional dud out to a customer.
✔️ It comes with the "Cloud Retailer Pure POS" - this is a mode for Windows 10 we designed that will keep cashier users out of everything other than the POS and select specific internet browsing. No access to games, general internet browsing, the ability to copy files from a USB thumb drive, or access to the computer's control panel (plus more). This keeps your cashiers out of trouble, helps keep you from getting hacked, and keeps your computer running virus-free. An extremely valuable tool that only comes with machines purchased from CLOUD RETAILER.
NETWORK
Proposals never include ANY networking services in proposals unless explicitly stated. The expectation is that you will have a cat5 or cat6 network cable ready to be utilized for the POS station and for the payment terminal ready (one for each) and that those cables reach where you want the devices to be situated. If we're performing onsite installation any time, we have to spend routing cables would be billable time outside of the scope of your proposal.
- Standard Card Defender payment terminals (PX5, S300) require a hard-wired cat5 cable wherever they will be located.
- Stationary POS stations require a hard-wired cat5 cable. If they are wireless-enabled that can also work however, if possible a hard line is preferred.
- Tablet-based POS stations require a secure/encrypted wireless LAN network connection. If you're using a D210 wireless payment processing unit this also requires an encrypted wireless network. The SSID of the wireless network should not change.
- LAN connections should have a 1ms ping response time with less than 0.1% packet loss on average.
- Wireless networks should have a 10ms or less ping response time with less than 0.5% packet loss on average.
- Internet connections for synchronization and card processing should have a ping response time to Google of less than 50ms and less than 0.5% packet loss on average.
- If you are providing a "segmented" network to separate the POS terminals from the payment devices you MUST
- Be able to ping the payment terminal from the POS device
- Be able to ping the IP of the credit card processing company from the payment terminal
- These need to be tested and operational before we will start our work
- If you don't know what a segmented" network is, then this likely does not apply to you :)
- If you are enabling outbound network restrictions (firewall) then ensure your rules comply with the information outlined in our Firewall requirements for Cloud Retailer page.
POS PERIPHERALS
If we're reusing existing peripherals, these are our requirements
- All equipment must be manufactured within the last 5 years - if not it should be replaced. Any hardware, even if it is on the "supported" hardware list, older than 5 years of age will bear the cost of unsupported hardware if you are newly moving to CR.
- Epson TM88, T20 receipt printers
- Payment terminals must be PAX - the system does not support raw MSRs for anything other than driver's license scanning (in states that support it). You can find a list of our currently supported payment terminals here.
- The customer display hardware must be a second monitor with a resolution of at least 800x600. The system does not support green character pole displays.
- Barcode scanners we will support must be 2D and of the following brands: Zebra, Motorola, Symbol, Metrologic, Honeywell, and Datalogic. No other brands are supported. We recommend wired connections over wireless as in our experience, wireless run into more issues and slower scanning speeds.
- Zebra ZD410 (203dpi) or Zebra 2824 PLUS (203dpi) label printer. MUST BE THE LISTED dpi
- DYMO LabelWriter 450 / 450 Turbo (for printing Keg Tags only) - NOTE: New models of the LabelWriter such as the 550 ONLY work with DYMO brand labels. Third-party labels will not work in the printers.
- GoDex barcode and keg tag printer (contact CLOUD RETAILER at support@cloudretailer.com for specific model information)
- Our standard installation assumes we will be providing the peripherals, if not there is a "hardware reuse fee" that needs to be on your proposal for the time we spend researching drivers, etc.
- Official hardware "support" simply means compatibility. It does not mean that we troubleshoot problems with the hardware that are physical defects. Problems not relating directly to the unit communicating with the POS software will not be supported. Most hardware support is a premium service. If you have a Bluetooth scanner and the wireless connectivity is not working, this, for example, would not be supported by us unless the device was purchased from us and is newly being deployed. Wireless troubleshooting is always considered a premium service.
- Scales supported by Cloud Retailer are the Datalogic Magellan 9400I, CAS mG series.
- Payment terminals: See this page for information on currently supported payment terminals
- Touchscreen monitors: ELO brand, Logic Controls, or Surface Pro touch monitors
- All hardware is WIRED unless explicitly stated.
- Cloud Retailer Mobile does NOT support Windows Mobile (CE, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 5,6, etc) operating systems.
References
Firewall requirements for Cloud Retailer
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