Micros

[aj453]

Do you any of you use micros in a semi service setting. Meaning order at the counter.
I have point of Success at my other two stores and liked the system, however hated the build your own equipment aspect. Seemed no matter what I spent it was always breaking

On my 3rd store I went micros. I like the equipment aspect but it is about as clumsy as they come. Im not sure if its the system or my local programmers that are helping me. Using HMS out of Kansas City
Are any of you using micros and love it? At this point I almost want some of my money back and I will deal with point of successes issues

 

[Piper]

I built my own POS system almost 9 years ago with relatively cheap computers. In those 9 years, the only failure I’ve had has been a CRT monitor and two mouses (mice?). What keeps breaking on you?

Sorry that’s off-topic; I’m just curious.

 

[Patriot_sPizza]

I’m a FIRM believer/follower of P.O.S., and have decent experience with other pos systems…

The initial cost of a P.O.S. system, based on used equipment, is much lower than any new, off the shelf system…

When buying any system, you must realize there is a “shelf life” on all pc related parts…

The great thing about “de-constructed” pc’s vs all-in-one pc’s, is if something goes down, it’s far cheaper to replace the deconstructed pc part vs the all-in-one system…

Hard drives have a failure rate, and if constantly left on, in a harsh environment, they may only last a few years if already purchased used…

Of all the systems I’ve built, I’ve never spent more than $2,500 (for a 5 station set-up) and have only replaced one hard drive, and just this year, replaced two pc’s, as its cheaper to replace tan repair…

 

[aj453]

In 4 years I have had maybe 9 computers fail. That’s not point of successes fault. However the thing is buggy, always a database issue, but that another point.

Micros is so clusmy I will take the all the fore mentioned issues

 

[Patriot_sPizza]

Nine failures seems a bit excessive…how old we’re they to begin with? …lol…

I’ve got one slave that’s a P3!

As far the data base being ‘buggy’, that’s news to me…have you talked to Jeff about it? My 1st guess is not enough ram thru-out the system…I’m running 2megs in all the slaves & 4 in the server…

You need to keep the staff off the PC’s and not let them play games or cruise the Internet…

Make sure your’e only running 1 security program and that you are using the latest POS build…

I rarely fool with mine at all…keep it away from the flour of course!

 

[stebby1]

AJ, feel free to PM me with questions, I’m only 70 miles southish of you…

With that said, Im curious as to the kinds of problems you’re having with POS. I used to provide support for 10+ stores of the chain I used to work for, one of which was using 866mhz pentium 2’s I believe for workstations. The store I managed had 9 computers on the POS network, and the only database issues I ever had was when the server hard drive filled up to capacity.

 

[Piper]

AJ, I’ve also never had an issue with Point of Success. I mean that literally… not one issue.

Whatever is going on with the database issues must be resolvable. I would definitely contact the Point of Success team to see what’s going on.

 

[BCPizza]

We had micros several years ago… never again they told us it would do everything we wanted 8 months of programming and we got some of the stuff to work the way we wanted other stuff never happened.

Have speedline now and love it

 

[Jeff_Ward]

Sorry this is off-topic, but I’d like to give you the answer to your database problems. Here are the causes of Point of Success database errors:

1. Power failures cause 95% of database problems. Your point of sale system can only be as stable as the hardware platform on which it runs. You need an uninterruptible power supply on each computer, on your networking hardware and printers. A UPS with automatic voltage regulation is preferred. A UPS can also protect your system from voltage sags and spikes which are very common in restaurants. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterrup … wer_supply
2. Hard disc or other computer malfunctions, network problems and other miscellaneous hardware issues account for the balance of database problems. Problematic power can hasten the onset of computer problems and dramatically shorten the life of your computers.

You may notice a theme here: the computing environment is responsible for database errors. Point of Success is by no means plagued by these problems. If you ever get one it’s a matter of opening the database administrator program and clicking the button to repair the database.

Having a stable computing environment is important for every POS system, not just for Point of Success. A UPS is cheap insurance.

 

[aj453]

I did not start this thread to bad mouth Point of Success in anyway. Many people swear by it and its usability is great. I just have had very bad luck with computer failure and issues no matter what I did. I am very happy with the functionality of it.
Ive just had to many calls of the printer is not working, or this has stopped with no reason. They both are installed with all power recommendations and run on all new computers and still continue to have a few problems. With another store an hour away I cant be in three places at once trouble shooting. Once again, though, the operation of Point of Success is great and very simple to use.

In my third store I decided to try something different as there was a micros system already in place. The equipment is fine, but functionality is clumsy. To the point im thinking of abandoning it. I was just wondering if anyone else uses it and likes it.

 

[pcuezze]

Micros is stable and has a huge installed base. If you have the money and don’t care about spending it, Micros will serve you well. But I don’t think it’s fair to compare POS to Micros given the price difference. I have 5 terminals, 3 printers, integrated time, table map, etc. and am in it for ~$3500. Micros would cost me upwards of $40,000. Selecting hardware and getting your system stable is part of the cost of a DIY type system like POS. For me, I would not spend the money on Micros - you may have fewer issues but the price you pay for it means your going to be 10x more angry when you DO have issues…

pC

 

[aj453]

I shouldn’t have even brought up POS. The only reason I brought it up was in case someone had used both micros and POS. Point of success is a great product. Especially for the money.
The thread was supposed to be about Micros

 

[pcuezze]

Sorry aj - what I meant is that Micros is stable, has a large install base, and proprietary hardware is probably less prone to failure. However, those things come at an incredible premium compared to other systems out there. You have to decide if the 500%-1000% premium is worth it to you.

 

[Piper]

aj453:

The only reason I brought it up was in case someone had used both micros and POS.

aj453:

However the thing is buggy, always a database issue

AJ, realize that you described Point of Success as “buggy” and always having a “database issue” on a public forum of pizzeria owners whom are Point of Success’ target market. I think it’s fair that those of us that use the software and never have an issue (as well as Inborne themselves) defend it.

On your topic, I have used both. Yes, I think Micros is clumsy as well. I think it’s just bloated after many years. Lack of bloat is one of the reasons I prefer Point of Success. No, it doesn’t have every whiz-bang feature… but it also isn’t heavy software. I appreciate that they are selective of which features they add. I appreciate that I can buy cheap off the shelf computers to build the system. I’m technically proficient, so why would I pay somebody to do that for me?

Given your description of the problems you’ve encountered it’s entirely possible that building your own system isn’t in your wheelhouse. An extremely high failure rate, printers not working, database issues… those all point to hardware and network set-up and maintenance problems and not the software. You didn’t mention your level of technical knowledge.

Remember that Point of Success doesn’t have to be a “build your own equipment” solution. You can contact a Point of Success dealer and have them build the computers for you. You can have somebody else build the network. You can run Point of Success on all-in-one terminals just like you run Micros. Perhaps that would give you the best of both worlds?