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My client wants to use a cheap AMD E-300 ,5400 rpm disk,4gb memory laptop as a POS server and music player at the same time with dual screen. I couldnt convince him that this wouldnt be a good choice. The applications are a database a music player ,and the .net 4 application. I am afraid of performance issues. However the reasons for this choice is that laptop takes not much space ,easy dual screen for music player and application ,can easilly be replaced and that it will last forever as none of his laptops are ever broken. I believe that this is a good idea but i feel thats something wrong there.
Do you believe that is an ok choice?

Mark Henderson
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GorillaApe
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  • Not sure if *any* laptops contain hardware designed for 24/7 duty cycles. – jscott Nov 03 '11 at 17:43
  • I wanted to answer this. Too many naive people think this stuff can get by. The reality is something they need to learn. Consider the replacement of a power supply in a laptop, or deal with a liquid spill versus a tower system for a POS system. – labradort Nov 03 '11 at 17:57
  • I don't see why this needs to be closed. Sure - maybe using a laptop as a server is a bad idea - but that doesn't mean it isn't a valid question, and it certainly relates to servers, so how is it off topic? – dunxd Nov 03 '11 at 21:17
  • yes it relates to servers. And is actually a server for mobile terminals and not only.. @labradort psu failure seems minor to my client .However he is open minded he would get another machine if problems occur. – GorillaApe Nov 03 '11 at 22:49
  • it is not going to work 24/7 ,however i think 18 hours/day for sure.. – GorillaApe Nov 03 '11 at 22:51
  • Re-opening vote because a professional can sometimes expect to find a client asking this. This should also have an answer explaining how even if you did use this as a server, any server should be segregated from doing duty as a media player. – Jeff Ferland Mar 21 '12 at 02:54
  • Jeff - that sounds like you're looking for the answer I did write in, last November :-) – mfinni Mar 21 '12 at 03:19

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I really want to vote for this as off-topic, but it's something a lot of people who work in the tiny end of SMB can face.

So, my answer is... try it and see. Run the applications, put the normal load (or approximation) against it, and run perfmon on it. If you've still got a healthy amount of unused CPU, RAM, or (most likely) IO, you're fine.

You say "POS server", but from your description I'm guessing that this thing is just going to have a user at the console which will likely be at a checkout/cashier or reception area? Single user? That'll probably be just fine.

Now, if it's actually going to be a real POS server, with multiple stations on the LAN hitting that database, you're really going to have to do the performance test I suggested and the load has to match a "lunch rush/dinner rush" or whatever peak time is for this client's business, without falling over.

If it does, then use the laptop as the MP3 station and get at least a decent desktop or low-end server for the POS software. The POS vendor should really have good recommendations already, appropriate for very small businesses.

mfinni
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  • it is a custom pos application made with care but not tested there. It has multiple users but from mobile devices generating little traffic thanks to caching. i should test it though.. – GorillaApe Nov 03 '11 at 18:09