How do you think of this question: "IS a POS machine just A computer?" The answer is both yes and no. All point of sale systems run off computers that we are largely familiar with – most commonly PCs but in some cases Macs as well. Large retail establishments may run their terminals as “dumb” terminals connected to back office large network servers where most of the processing is done. But they can still be considered “computers”. It is really software that defines a POS system. And unlike the computers that most of us use, many POS systems use touch screen monitors to eliminate the need for a mouse or keyboard. POS system computers also frequently connect to devices that we wouldn’t use at home – magnetic stripe readers to process credit cards, specialized receipt printers, pole displays to show customers what they are being charged, cash drawers that only open when a sale is complete, and bar code scanners that can scan in products based on their bar code.

So if you have a computer and can get access to POS software you can install it and see how it works. This will give you an understanding of what is involved in configuring it for your business.