Really several questions.

Most importantly, What does your dream kiosk do? What do you want to be able to customize, what do you want to be able to enable/disable? Do you need something that supports local photo printing, or is it all going to go to your wet/drylab? How big is the screen? Does it need bluetooth support? How about WiFi?

But also,

What's the minimum you would use in your business? (at any price, free or not) Does it have to support cropping? Does it have to tie into your minilab, or is a shared folder enough? Does it need to support greeting cards, custom text and red-eye removal?

What is your max and ideal price point for the software? How about the hardware? How about paying for a support contract (assuming it's fully functional) Are you more likely to have multiple kiosks if the software was less expensive than current commercial options? What about free software and $400 (or euros) a year for a support contract, would you buy the contract? What if it were $400 for 6 hours of support, or $1000 for unlimited support?

What about open-source kiosks? Would you pay more, less or no difference for open-source software? Would you be willing to pay extra one time to add features you wanted? Would you want to just use it and not support it financially? Would your business be able to use (or prefer to use/not use) open-source kiosks? Would you be able to contribute code, or icons, bug reports, documentation back to the open-source software?

My dream kiosk software:

1 Would be low cost, on a per computer basis, like most regular software. (not a site license like Xkiosk!) And would not have on going license fees .

2 Would be able to be used on any low spec computer.

3 Idealy have basic editing, like cropping, redeye, b&w.

4 Would allow to quickly browse to a file or folder

5 Would be simple, fast, reliable & safe.

6 Would just save images to a shared folder, for printing

7 Could be customised to add sizes, photo gifts ect. and to be able to personalise the graphics.


It really shouldn't be that hard, all you need to do is be able to select the images you want quickly and save them to a suitably named folder/s. Why kiosk software should be so expensive and complicated is beyond me.

- It should also have a quick and fast print selection ability - similar to Dakis - I say similar because we don't want to violate patents - like Kodak seems to be trying to enforce lately.

- ability to handle most image types - except RAW

- easy to create templates for print overlays, calendars, photo gifts, etc.

more to come I'm sure.

ID passport Templates., Multiple print size selection, CD/DVD burn options, Create index prints, Enable/ Disable time and date front print, Network import, order manager etc...


i wish kiosk shouldn't affect virus attacks. because more chances. so could be an open source program like Linux.

The kiosk interface/GUI should be as similar as possible to the same software running online so our customers only have one learning experience.
My whole estate of kiosks should be centrally administered so i can quickly and easily change my offering/prices/promotions etc.
It should be straightforward to self create templates for new or seasonal themed products.
Templates should be tradable, so i can give/share/swap/buy new creations.
The software creaters should support a client user forum where ideas and experiences can be exchanged, and issues asked and addressed, and future updates suggested.
It's not about price, it's about value.
I would probably prefere to just buy licences and source my own hardware, but that can create issues which can be hard to support, so maybe i have to buy the whole bundle .....
Second and extra kiosks should be discounted.
Annual licences should be optional, meaning that the supplier is incentivised to keep improving their product so owners keep paying annual fees.
It should be easy to skin, so I can theme my kiosks so they don't look same as multiples.
It should be ready now, coz I want to upgrade a few !
Phil

Where are you going with this Tyler? Are we about to see a lauch of software that WE want, not what our suppliers want?

My Kiosks use photo-me s/w which is rubbish. Very slow to load photos.

I wouldn't mind upgrading the software to make them faster, and able to order items other than prints and CD's. But, it would have to be cheap and easy to self update with new graphics, pricing, products etc.

Products & Templates is the key words here.
If this comes through, then we all have an equal base to start creating our own templates / products & SHARING / Trading them with each other.
Neil - wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Big Dave,

Seems to me you should check out the Dakis system if you are interested in being able to build your own templates. Send me an email and I can create a demo for you of the online and kiosk application.

Cheers,

Orundarkes,
I know and like your on-line 3cent solution, but not willing to pay the monthly for the kiosk as our volume doesn't allow me to use that....  

The Kiosk application is where a "freebie" / mostly freebie / shareware would be very helpful for this community, and allow, all of us, to start the "Template Sharing Program" that was discussed last year.  

IF Tyler here can follow through with a worthy application that could be installed on any computer with a simple touch screen interface, SUPER easy to use, LOTS OF COOL Features (collages/posters/cards/folding cards/birth announcements/etc/red eye/cropping/rotating/text/fonts/colors/backgrounds/blurs/thankyou cards/etc.), AND be cost effective, then GREAT, we might try it.  But I'm not sure if I want to invest in new Kiosk hardware for a solution that might die with the single unsupported software developer that is Tyler.... The touch screen drivers for the kiosk I'm using now are impossible to find, and the CPU is quite slow, but can I afford another $800-1200 for new hardware ?  per kiosk ??  

Based on Tyler's questions, his kiosk software is probably going to be more expensive than your monthly charge for the kiosk.... and there will be (possibly) support costs to troubleshoot or add new features... and this is where things can get scary.  How does Tyler control all the separate features that he's customizing the "base model" off of for all the individual photo labs ?  Or do you Roll them all up once a year ?  This probably won't end up being the "LINUX" of kiosk software, but you never know.... if it was open sourced, and anyone could / would make changes to it, then it could be possible that YOU (Dakis) take a chunk of it, but who knows.... it's still just a dream.

For now, I'm looking to sell my existing Kiosks, and invest in a refurb HP Photosmart Kiosk system because my employees really liked playing with them at PMA, and they are FEATURE RICH, EASY TO USE, FAST and somewhat customizable, but I don't like having to buy yet another "server" to process the images / collages/etc, but if it's necessary so be it, for the features I WANT my customers to have.

BUT I want to be able to create my own cards AND support (& take advantage of) the future (yet to be created) Mini Lab Help "Template Sharing Program" - It truly is a difficult time to be in the photo business....  No wonder I'm getting fat, grey and bald...  

Send me a PM and we can talk - you already know me.

@Tyler:
Go take a look at the HP photosmart kiosk solution.  I want it's features without the monthly/annual subscription fees, I want a template sharing solution whereby ALL mini-lab help users can contribute and (based upon points) download templates that others have put up, but having that single "base model kiosk software" where all of us can use and contribute to would be very cool.  That way if one of us makes a 2011 calendar, all of us could have it on our kiosks, etc, etc...

Worst case, we can trade multi-layer PSD or TIFF files, I hate flatted photoshop files.

sorry for rambling.... these daylight savings hours are killing me....

Big Dave- I like what you are saying.

None of us want expensive solutions, there simply is not the money available. However together we can , all of us, be a major resource. How do we go about it? I truly don't know, like you , too old and grey  

Anyone have a teenage computer whizz kid that needs some extra pocket money ???

I'ts nice to dream isn't it?  

A nice simple, low cost, open platform Kiosk software is obviously something everyone with a lab would be interested in.

Quoted Text

A nice simple, low cost, open platform Kiosk software is obviously something everyone with a lab would be interested in.

The sad fact though, is that you would get some twit, that would then copy and then sell for gain.

i have lot of templates collections.....all are self designed...if anybody need i can give free. all are 6x4 sizes.


C.R

Quoted from Christina Rose

i have lot of templates collections.....all are self designed...if anybody need i can give free. all are 6x4 sizes.


C.R

that's nice of you!

Can you e-mail them to me at

qualityexposed@btinternet.com

and does anyone know how I can load them into a DKS1550?  Pskaro ?? Are you there  

hi,
give me 2 days more. in fact all are designed for fuji frontier. now i need to modify for general purpose. once i complete the process, i will give a download link. those who need can download from there. this is open source..

regards,

C....R