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Apple using Windows based Gear

T

technic

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 18, 2009
9
0
Hi everyone, I thought I would introduce myself before I get flamed horrendously. I wrote an article recently about a recent visit to the Apple store and how I found out that they use Windows Mobile powered devices to complete transactions. I thought it was really ironic. What do you think?

The article can be found here: Link to the Article

Nice to meet everyone and I hope I get involved in more lively discussions.
 
There are rumours that once the 3.0 firmware is available they'll be switching to iPod touches with external barcode scanners attached to the dock port and some sort of custom Apple application thus removing these nasty Windows Mobile based devices.
 
Yup, and MS used PowerMac to showcase early Xbox 360 games.

When Apple, MS, etc had a need they find a product that fills that need....even if they don't make it themselves.
 
Hmac said:
Makes sense to me. They need to use the tools that get the job done.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I work in IT support in two companies. One is apple-only, the other is Windows only. Both are open to using the tools they need to get the job done. It's not a religious issue.
 
technic said:
Hi everyone, I thought I would introduce myself before I get flamed horrendously. I wrote an article recently about a recent visit to the Apple store and how I found out that they use Windows Mobile powered devices to complete transactions. I thought it was really ironic. What do you think?

The article can be found here: Link to the Article

Nice to meet everyone and I hope I get involved in more lively discussions.
Click to expand...

It's because the mobile devices they use\need have an integrated chip & pin reader and obviously Apple don't produce anything like that and no one makes a retrofit one for the Touch\iPhone. I did joke to the guy in the Apple store in MK that "I see there isn't an iPhone app for that then!" on the back of their current iPhone advertising campaign ;)
 
If you buy a new iPhone at the Apple Store they will launch VMWare Fusion in order to activate your carrier contract.
 
robbieduncan said:
There are rumours that once the 3.0 firmware is available they'll be switching to iPod touches with external barcode scanners attached to the dock port and some sort of custom Apple application thus removing these nasty Windows Mobile based devices.
Click to expand...
Now that would be nice.

Granted Apple needs to use what works reliably with available resources. It would sure be nice to see an Apple product only solution.
 
neiltc13 said:
If you buy a new iPhone at the Apple Store they will launch VMWare Fusion in order to activate your carrier contract.
Click to expand...

britboyj said:
WTF are you talking about?
Click to expand...

In the UK, to activate the iPhone in the Apple Store, they need to use 02's Gateway service, but it only works on IE... so at the launch of the iPhone 3G in the UK, there were about 5 macs set up with IE7 running. Didn't work though, 02's servers crashed
 
Microsoft used Macs to design early Xbox 360 games, all the ads (including the I'm a PC ads and the laptop hunters ads) are all made on Macs.

Sometimes the product you sell is not always the best tool to get the job done.
 
technic said:
Hi everyone, I thought I would introduce myself before I get flamed horrendously. I wrote an article recently about a recent visit to the Apple store and how I found out that they use Windows Mobile powered devices to complete transactions. I thought it was really ironic. What do you think?
Click to expand...

How is it ironic? There's no Symbol PDAs or the like that run OS X or iPhone OS that have credit card swipes. As people have mentioned, iPhone OS 3 should allow them to use Apple hardware.
 
MS CEO using a Mac.
See the extra big MS sign to cover up the laptop.
;)
 

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^haha nice find, would think they would put a little more effort into hiding their competitors product, even though they prefer it over their own lol.
 
Sky Blue said:
How is it ironic? There's no Symbol PDAs or the like that run OS X or iPhone OS that have credit card swipes. As people have mentioned, iPhone OS 3 should allow them to use Apple hardware.
Click to expand...

It's ironic because Apple spends quite a bit of time advertising the strength and utility of their products. Given that, the fact that they use a Windows mobile based device is the ironic part.

I'm glad that they will be able to transition to their own modified iPhone setup for the POS system. If I were Apple, I would have held off on using portable devices until I could deploy my own technology. A standard POS system run on MacOS would have been just fine with most Apple Store patrons.

Consultant said:
MS CEO using a Mac.
See the extra big MS sign to cover up the laptop.
;)
Click to expand...

Very nice find. I do agree that it is possible that the Macbook Pro belongs to the venue or some other future speaker. Sometimes it's just easier to setup things in advance. Even if it does make the Microsoft CEO look funny. :D

However, I won't rule out that it is his or his staff's. That does seem like a pretty gross oversight though.
 
It's hardly a big deal though, is it?

It's not really irony either, unless Apple market themselves at leaders of retail technology...
 
As an aside, I appreciate the positive conversation started by this community. I joined a few communities to feel out which ones would be a better place for discussion and this has been the best by far. :eek:

bartelby said:
It's hardly a big deal though, is it?

It's not really irony either, unless Apple market themselves at leaders of retail technology...
Click to expand...

The small business commercial showing how a you could process a transaction, ship, and track it, leave them open for the irony badge. That commercial should have probably stayed in the archive until the new iPhone devices rolled out.
 
technic said:
It's ironic because Apple spends quite a bit of time advertising the strength and utility of their products. Given that, the fact that they use a Windows mobile based device is the ironic part.
Click to expand...
The part of the device that the employees interact with is 100% Apple.

Other than seeing the Windows Mobile logo flash up for a few seconds when the EasyPay reboots, there's pretty much zero interaction with Windows.

A standard POS system run on MacOS would have been just fine with most Apple Store patrons.
Click to expand...
You can't fit 15 standard POS systems into most Apple stores, whereas 15 Specialists on the floor with EasyPays fit quite nicely.
 
technic said:
As an aside, I appreciate the positive conversation started by this community. I joined a few communities to feel out which ones would be a better place for discussion and this has been the best by far. :eek:



The small business commercial showing how a you could process a transaction, ship, and track it, leave them open for the irony badge. That commercial should have probably stayed in the archive until the new iPhone devices rolled out.
Click to expand...

Allow me to go negative.

Your page says that EXAMINERS ARE CREDIBLE, PASSIONATE, KNOWLEDGEABLE WRITERS.


Seems to me you should have researched and known about the rumors of switching to their own devices NOW THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE. :rolleyes:

A simple Google search would have sufficed.
 
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