Clutter free POS: How to achieve the minimalist look
With the growing prevalence of stylish and intuitive Tablet and Cloud POS systems, retailers are increasingly looking to achieve a cable free minimalist look. The ideal scenario would be just a tablet on a countertop providing a clean, sleek vision but all too often this is not practical given the POS setup has to not only look good but also be usable. 
There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration. For example, how to power the POS system or charge the tablet and how to connect the tablet or system to other devices including printer, barcode scanner and customer display. Furthermore, there is the security issue and how to keep the tablet and peripherals secure from theft, avoid staff mishandling or misplacing equipment etc.
Reliable connectivity is an additional must have. The need to ensure the tablet and peripherals are always online is essential to avoid loss of connection during a transaction. Bluetooth pairing and wireless connectivity between tablet and peripherals can be a problem in stores with intermittent WiFi. And within hospitality more specifically, a kitchen environment is not ideal for reliable WiFi connectivity.
Efficient and practical cabling is the obvious solution, but if everything is connected with cables the question is how to avoid a mass of cables ruining the sleek store look as bulky cash registers are confined to the past. Under counter printers or printers mounted on a wall are possible solutions but these are not always suitable, especially for smaller businesses where space is limited.
The ideal is a secure tablet solution where the device and peripherals can be reliably connected to the network but which gives the clutter free appearance of a cable-free all-in-one POS system or self-service terminal.
BOXaPOS, a manufacturer of universal tablet stands, has introduced innovative cabling solutions for use with their broad range of tablet stands. The custom manufactured cables connect any size of iPad, Android or Windows tablet to the printer. The cables feature a 180° cable exit design in an extremely small connector, meaning that the cables are hidden behind the tablet rather than visibly protruding from the stand. This prevents accidental knocks and bumps which could otherwise disrupt operation or even potentially damage the single charging/data port available on most tablets. The cables also offer high current charging to prevent battery depletion in even the busiest POS environments.
Star’s mC-Print™ thermal receipt printer lends itself perfectly to such a solution given its compact design, front opening, simple paper loading and outstanding functionality. Featuring multiple interfaces and Cloud connectivity, the mC-Print3 is unique in that it also delivers data and charging to iPads as well as data and Power Delivery to USB-C models of Windows and Android devices via a direct Lightning or USB-C cable between the tablet and printer. Furthermore, with Star’s unique patent pending SteadyLAN™ technology, tablets can be directly connected to the router via the mC-Print printer using the same Lightning or USB-C cable. This eliminates the need for the tablet to connect via WiFi and ensures continuous network access and reliable connectivity during transactions.
The mC-Print also includes hub functionality with the ability to connect a USB customer display, scanner, RFID device or other supported HID enabled peripherals directly to the printer for a single integrated system.
The result is a neatly packaged completely cabled POS solution. The tablet is secure and connected to the printer and the network at all times. So you can really have it all – a secure, reliable cabled Tablet POS solution that looks wireless and clutter free.
BOXaPOS stands are compatible with a range of printers including Star’s mC-Print, mPOP™, TSP100 and TSP650II Series.
