From: wcs@anchor.ho.att.com (bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com +1-510-484-6204)
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 94 23:00:49 PDT
To: fnerd@smds.com
Subject: Re:  Credit-card PCs exist
Message-ID: <9407020559.AA25969@anchor.ho.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> (That reminds me: does anyone know whether automatic teller
> machines are PCs inside?)

I should know our cash machine line by now, but anyway...
I think ours are basically PCs with OS/2 operating systems;
having real multitasking is useful in a communication device,
and it's a reasonably flexible environment for adding drivers for 
miscellaneous peripherals, like cash dispensers.

A few years ago I saw a cash machine that was not working,
and had a very dos-llike boot error message on the screen.

Grocery store aisle signs are often driven by Amigas,
and occcasionally have confused-Amiga messages on them.

ObCrypto: according to someone on the net, some appallingly large 
fraction of teller machines don't use encryption on their comm links.
(Grocery store signs do just fine without crypto :-), though some
of the new radio-transmission shelf price labels might be interesting
hacking for somebody with lots of time on their hands.)