As a pawn shop owner there are quite a few things needed to function your shop… Computers, scanners, credit card readers, printers, webcams, biometric readers, etc… It is important to make sure that as the times change, your hardware stays up to date with the software and driver upgrades. Here’s a little bit of what I know about a few pieces of hardware and their compatibility…
Operating Systems:
Windows XP and Windows Vista – No longer supported by Microsoft; Sharing to or from XP or Vista is near impossible when it comes to Windows 10, which is the most widely used operating system at the moment.
Windows 7 – Soon to be out of Microsoft’s support; Very few bugs, and easily the most compatible with everything.
Windows 8 & 8.1 – Was never meant to be a true operating system. This operating system was meant for tablets. It is a very difficult operating system to navigate, and has added layers of security that make some sharing and network features inaccessible without the proper knowledge.
Windows 10 – This operating system was quickly spread throughout everyone’s computers via Windows Automatic Updates. The goal behind Windows 10 was to get everyone on the same level as far as operating systems go. By having everyone on the same OS, we’re able to use the same driver for all computers, worry less about sharing issues, have everyone on the same bit system, and be able to function with less worry. Windows 10 is fairly user friendly in the sense that it offers a search bar that will bring you to most anything you need right from the desktop. There are added layers of security to Windows 10, but most don’t impact your general functionality.
Printers:
Dot Matrics printers are becoming less and less common as the years go on. Dot Matrics printers are liked because of the fact that they’re sturdy and long-lasting machines, but often disliked because of the constant problems that people face when using these printers. Once these printers become misaligned it can be difficult to re-align them unless you’ve done this before. There’s two types of Dot Matrics printers that we see fairly often…
Oki Data Microline 320 – This printer is no longer compatible with Windows 10, but is still able to be used on any other operating system.
Oki Data Microline 390 – This is the compatible Dot Matrics printer that can be used on Windows 10.
Laser Printers – are the more common type of printer used in today’s Pawn Shop. Issues pertaining to sharing or compatibility are limited, but you should always keep in mind that each computer has a Bit System. This means that a computer will either be 32 Bit (x32/x86), or 64 Bit (x64). The reason I mention this is because occasionally when sharing a laser printer the sharing fails due to the computers being on opposite bit systems.
Scanners:
Datalogic Quickscan – Plug and play device, this means that you don’t have to do anything other than plug it in, and start using! There are no known compatibility issues on any operating system.
Datalogic Gryphon – This is a plug and play device also.
Scanshell 1000A/1000B – These are Passport scanners often used outside of the U.S. Scanshells will not work with Windows 10.
Scanshell 800 – This is an ID scanner that pulls and populates information for new and existing customers, as well as pulls the ID picture. This will not work with Windows 10.
Scanshell 800N – This is an Optical ID scanner only that will pull the picture of the ID. This will not work with Windows 10.
Scanshell 800R – This is an ID scanner that pulls and populates information for new and existing customers, as well as pulls the ID picture. There are no known compatibility issues.
Scanshell 800NR – This is an Optical ID scanner only that will pull the picture of the ID. There are no known compatibility issues.
Biometric Fingerprint Reader – This is a scanner that can be used for logging in, obtaining and verifying fingerprints. There are no known compatibility issues.
3 Track ID Scanner – This is a magnetic stripe reader that will pull and populate ID information. There are no known compatibility issues.
Before making any new purchase, or upgrade:
Do some legwork to make sure you’re upgrades will be compatible with your existing hardware and software. The most common mistake people make is thinking everything should work all the time. Also keep in mind, legacy devices (outdated equiment) for example, devices that use a serial port, aside from your monitor, will typically not work with Windows 10.
It will always be advised that you keep your entire shop on the same operating system, and bit system to avoid sharing and compatibility issues.
If you are ever unsure of what to buy, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to your account manager, or a tech support rep so we can steer you in the right direction!
