C(r)ash Machine

[Desmo]

Saw this out on our morning walk today...







They really should be run on linux

[Tak]

The self service checkouts at tesco also run on windows (think it was xp)

[Mark]

Virtually all the main bank cashpoints run some version of Windows. Usually Windows NT (older ones) or XP (newer). I'm not sure about the convenience store types though.

Our local Natwest used to be NT. I saw one of them die with a BSOD.

Suffice to say they're incredibly locked down, as Desmo's photo can attest.

[LeperousDust]

Why pay for millions of windows licenses though? Even at a cheaper rate they have to be worse off than using a free better alternative. Or even pay for one of the alternatives

[Mark]

I guess you haven't seen how entrenched Windows is in virtually all our major banks. And that even goes for a lot of back-office systems. When your entire business relies on multi-million pound mainframes, a few thousand Windows licenses doesn't really figure. Besides, the banks go right back to Windows 3.11 - or at least Lloyds does.

[LeperousDust]

Nah i do understand that, but its not like the unix front ends aren't compatible with the windows backend stuff?

[Flibster]

One bank I know still has servers running O/S2 - they pay IBM several million a year for support of it.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by LeperousDust

Nah i do understand that, but its not like the unix front ends aren't compatible with the windows backend stuff?

It's called legacy software.

Besides, some studies have shown that Linux costs more than Windows - and in this sort of situation they're almost certainly right