Small Business computer overhaul Help

[Jacob_1999]

Hello!

So I work in a small privately owned business I am one of the managers but not the owner, We are hoping to move to a new Point of Sale this year to better control inventory and cost, we currently run old school registers and 3 dell pc from at best 2005 , they are running XP, The problem is the new P.O.S requires windows 8 or newer, but I believe 10 would be best as it is a touchscreen. So none of the computers at work can handle Windows 8 or 10 as they have 4 gig ram, But the Owner is cheap, I'm looking to refresh all the computers so we can run win 10 but I'm not sure the best options to stay on a good budget, would it be better to simply convince him to buy a few new laptops? or try for a more labor-intensive rebuilding some refurbished Pcs. any thought on this would be much appreciated, 

the computers need to run effectively , the Microsoft suits and internet, there is no workstation requirements  

[Crunchy Dragon]

4Gb RAM can run Windows 8/10. You could look at used/refurbished PCs online or in-store, I usually see some pretty good deals at my Micro Center(granted I look at them from a different standpoint than you).

[Praxis727]

pic of the inside of the machine or the model number so it can be looked up.  Need to know what we are working with.

[ARikozuM]

I would go 8.1 if you need touchscreens as Windows 10 updates have required me to reinstall touchscreen drivers every once in a while (probably once a quarter). Also, have you looked into any web-based POS systems like Springboard?

[Psittac]

I would get more information about the hardware before receiving proper input about attempting to update them.  If 2005 and intel it's probably lga775 and more than likely a pentium D which is going to run like a pig.  There are cpu upgrades available for lga 775 which could suit your purpose and the ram can be increased.  It all comes down to how fast they need to be, how much you want to spend, and how competent you are with performing hardware upgrades.

 

Personally I have an lga775 mb/cpu/ram combo sitting in my basement that I refuse to use, but my needs and resources are far different.

 

A proper desktop can be built for 500-600 and blazing fast, maybe even cheaper.  I'll do some parts lists to see how cheap it can be done while being reliable.

 

Remember that server grade hardware is often times slightly more capable than mainstream yet costs exponentially more due to the reliability and customer support.  So a simple hardware solution isn't always the best solution. (laptops are not reliable, if possible a properly built desktop will be better without going into enterprise level support).

 

Remember that simple user error is the most likely cause of a faulty desktop.

 

The rabbit hole goes deep (think data backups etc) so collect information and use it to decide what is best for your situation, don't put to much weight on any one persons advice.  Make an informed decision.

 

edit: if older than lga775 it might be 32 bit only so no more than 4g of ram

[Psittac]

I just pieced together the most basic desktop at about $350 for the tower and no operating system

 

celeron dual core skylake with onboard graphics

asus motherboard

crucial ram 8gb

intel 180g ssd

evga 400w psu.

antec smaller form factor case

 

I would call this bullet proof and cheap.

 

edit: I'm assuming point of sales means a cash register and nothing more.  Download hwinfo and find out what hardware you are working with

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Psittac said:

I just pieced together the most basic desktop at about $350 for the tower and no operating system

Is this just for a POS system? If so, just go to Newegg and find some of the old Dells with a C2D or i3 for around $200.

[Jacob_1999]

Thank you all for the input that was very quick, I don't believe upgrading the existing PC is the best plan, we are planning to upgrade the actual point of sale to the new square register   squareup.com  as much as I want to set up whole storage and backup storage as well as pay for off-site redundancy , he won't ever go for anything close to that level of enterprise-grade gear, But I may be able to convince him to spend 3-400 for some new parts per pc, but I am waiting on the manditory minmum from Square right now, and thank you for the tip on windows 8 that is nice to know.