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Windward System Five can
be setup in many different configurations so it would be difficult
to give you exact specifications without knowledge about your
business and needs. When you are ready to make your purchase,
we will gladly spend some time with you to design your network
and give you a shopping list.
We generally do not sell hardware, so we can give you an independent evaluation
on your quotations.
Windward can be setup on a single workstation, or a small peer- to-peer network
of two or three computers, or into a proper client/server network from three
to two hundred computers in either one or several locations.
File Server
You have the choice of Microsoft Windows 2000 or 2003 Server, Novell Netware
3.12 or higher or Red Hat Linux 9 or higher as the network operating systems
for your network. Novell is great, but it is sometimes difficult to get technicians
that are available to install and support. Red Hat Linux is a fantastic networking
software, but again, it requires specialized knowledge. As Linux becomes more
popular, it will be easier to recommend. Microsoft Windows 2000 and 2003 Server
does the job and if you have technicians that know and understand it, then this
may be the best option to choose.
The server machine itself should be a Pentinum III 350 Mhz or faster with 256
Mbs of Ram and 4 gigs of hard drive space or more. Most important, the server
must be of server quality instead of just a low end work station. This does not
mean you need to spend a lot of money, but if you buy a discount machine to use
as a server, you might run into problems. It's worth spending a little extra
on the server as it‚s the heart of the whole computer system.
Workstations
Faster is better, but at a minimum is a Pentium III 350 Mhz or faster, with 128
Mbs of Ram. 150 MB of available hard drive space. These machines can run Windows
98/NT/2000 or XP, but we recommend Windows 2000 Professional and XP Professional
as the best operating systems for Windward System Five.
Network Cards and Switches
We recommend 3-Com 10/100 ethernet network cards due to their high-speed and
superior quality. Low-end network cards can cause serious problems under load.
The computers should be connected via a switch, not a hub. Although similar in
appearance the enhanced quality and performance of a switch justify the added
expense. If the network is under load, a hub will drop packets or allow collisions,
where a switch with store-and-forward technology will prevent collisions and
reduce network load.
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General Printers
Laser printers are the best option because they are quiet, fast and can handle
images very well for printing your company's identity (logos letterhead, etc).
Bar Code
We strongly recommend the Metrologic brand of scanners, but any scanner that
supports pre-amble characters and uses a keyboard wedge will work with Windward
System Five. The scanners come in different shapes and sizes, from handhelds,
small balls called Orbits, or flat bed scanners like you see in grocery stores.
Cash Drawer
When an invoice is completed and is being printed, Windward System Five can send
the codes to open the cash drawer. In most cases, the cash drawer will be hooked
up to your receipt printer, but there are other methods of connecting the cash
drawer to the computer.
Windward System Five supports all standard point of sale hardware. To find out
how to implement System Five in your existing network, call one of our technicians
to
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