Article

KIOSKmarketplace asks: Which operating system is best?

KIOSKmarketplace asked industry leaders to tell us what operating system they preferred to run on kiosks. Read their replies.

March 26, 2002

Periodically, KIOSKmarketplace questions industry leaders on the issues. This time, we asked, "What operating system do you prefer to run on the computers in your kiosks, and why?"

Our experts mentioned the need for flexibility. Not surprisingly, Windows operating systems, whether 98, NT or 2000, took the lead. Don't ignore Linux, however. Though not as well-established and arguably not yet enterprise-ready, Linux offers cost savings as well as stability.

Here's what they had to say:

Steven Bellinghausen, marketing director, COMPAQ Computer Corp.:

Compaq works closely with the customer to determine the best operating system platform to use. We have utilized Windows, Citrix and Linux.  The vast majority of our installs are being driven by one of the Windows platforms. We have great relationships with Microsoft, and we can count on them if we run into anything unusual. 

Editor's note: Read more about Citrixhere.

Greg Swistak, president, Factura Corp.:

At Factura, we are in the business of providing the most appropriate custom solutions for our customers. We do that by listening and being responsive to a customer' needs, not by forcing a predetermined hardware or software configuration that may be in our best interest, but not theirs.

That being said, the best operating system is the one that is a good fit with a customer's architecture and infrastructure. For example, if a customer plans to maintain the system with existing resources, but has no experience with UNIX, a Linux kiosk, although attractive from a price/performance perspective, would probably be a poor fit.

If there was an opportunity to deploy kiosks irrespective of a customer's legacy, we have found Windows 98 to be very stable, inexpensive to procure, and it allows the kiosks to operate effectively while minimizing the hardware requirements, such as CPU cost. We have deployed thousands of kiosks with this operating system that continue to perform well.

However, managing systems through the network can be an issue for Windows 98. If systems are networked and need to be managed remotely for software or configuration upgrades, Windows 2000 provides enhanced capabilities, albeit at a higher initial unit price for both the software and hardware. Windows 2000 has also been quite stable for the last year.

We also believe that our customers are best served by operating systems that are readily understood and accepted by the IT community at large. This allows them to minimize the cost of managing their kiosk investment, because competitive resources are available.

There can only be one right answer.  Unfortunately, it is probably different for every circumstance.

Lee Yit, chief operating officer, Team Linux | explore:

The kiosks of today are sophisticated, multi-functional networked devices delivering rich media over hybrid networks and the Internet. As such, kiosks need to have an operating system that is equally robust to handle these cross platform network demands. Linux, once a topic of discussion only for geeks, has proven itself to be the best candidate in this environment.

Already the fastest growing OS for networks, Linux is anticipated to become the number one OS for networks within the next two years.

Currently, most kiosk deployments still utilize one of the many Windows operating systems. The abundance of Windows-based legacy applications and the lack of middleware and device drivers for other operating systems have made migration to other OSs tedious. Thus many seeking immediate gratification continue to deploy Windows-based systems without forethought of the compromises and total cost of ownership.

There are several advantages to using Linux in kiosk design. Because it is open source, you only install what you need to use, basically customizing the operating system. Unlike proprietary operating systems, there is not a lot of extraneous code bogging down memory or causing conflicts.

Linux allows for cross platform capability. This heterogeneous flexible functionality makes it the most practical choice for all Internet applications. It allows easier access to information from multiple databases than proprietary, or closed, OSs.

Stability is a key factor for choosing Linux. Regardless of circumstances, you want to keep your kiosk running at all times. Consumers expect 100 percent uptime and real-time confirmation of their transactions. Linux has proven itself to be both the most stable and reliable.

Linux kiosks are less susceptible to security breeches. The advantage of Linux is that security measures are built into the source code. While there are software packages to accompany other proprietary operating systems, Linux's embedded security provides consistent protection at the source, providing economic and implementation advantages versus an overlayed security program.

If you're concerned that Linux may be more expensive because of the need for extra programming, think again. Unlike proprietary OSs, access to open source code allows programmers to design more efficient solutions, allowing faster operations with less hardware cost. Additional cost savings come from not having to purchase licenses for a proprietary OS or other middleware programs.

Upgrading content, once a costly and time consuming undertaking, is today made simple. With Linux as the OS, remote maintenance and upgrades are possible without re-booting the server. This reduces maintenance costs, minimizing disruptions, which in turn provides uninterrupted mission-critical services.

Another important consideration between using a proprietary OS versus Linux is the applications software that will run onto the system. With proprietary architecture such as Windows, a task as simple as adding a printer driver alters the OS and can cause failures due to incompatibility. This is not a problem with Linux, since loading required processes and drivers do not affect the actual OS core.

Today's kiosks provide a function-rich, multi-media experience for technically savvy consumers who expect an enjoyable and rich user experience without delays or complications. With Linux, the Internet and appropriate planning, you can give that experience 24/7, cost efficiently and without compromise.

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