Android tablet or iPad for kiosk

Question

We want to place the device in a store that works as a kind of kiosk. Like customers, come up to him and start interacting with our custom application. The application can be developed for Android or iPad, so I'm trying to decide which one to use and would like comments on the following ideas:

• Is it possible for Android or iOS to access the services via the USB port? This will disable the network.

• Is this especially best for 24 hours?

• I like the iPad because I think its offer will be more permanent as we move forward and need to replace devices due to bad. In addition, our application is likely to work on future generations of the iPad. With Android, I'm not sure there will be such consistency with tablet manufacturers.

• Kiosk mode? I think that with the iPad, putting it in the case of a kiosk that removes access to the home button and enabling restrictions, we get what we want. What about Android? I would rather not go into rooting devices and replacing their firmware.

• Remote control? Any way to remotely control iOS or Android in standard mode? Our application will be a client on the main server, which, obviously, will be able to manage the application somewhat (when used as a display device for a client controlled by a counter).

I feel that neither Android tablets nor iPad are suitable for this. Are there any other options?

Answer 1

I will try to answer your questions, but I know that I'm probably inclined to Android, because that is where my experience lies.

• In Android 3.1+, at least with Xoom, you have all the features of a USB host. Things like USB drives / hard drives, keyboards, mice, even digital cameras all work. If you need a user interface with a USB device, you can go so far as to write a driver for it.

• 24 hours is always not suitable for any device with a battery, but in this situation it is not better.

• While Android applications support advanced compatibility, incorrect programming methods and / or deviations from vanilla Android software and hardware may interrupt compatibility. However, if you take a Google Experience device, such as Xoom, you will not come across so many surprises.

• In Android 3.0, the navigation bar is built-in at a low level, and applications cannot uninstall it. Thus, for everyone who can break the "program nanny", it is trivial.

• I know that you can remotely control Android devices, but without knowing your specific needs, I cannot provide more information than this.

Good luck

Answer 2

iPad NOOO trust me that I will convert to Apple for my home and business, but when we went to launch the kiosk, the iPad canceled a great time. Here are a few small (big) problems that we have encountered.

• If the device reboots, you cannot automatically launch the iPad application, as Apple does not allow this.

• There is a serious memory leak in the iPads browser. We ran javascript / CSS3 and its crater was interrupted. I literally spent 2 hours "today" on the phone with Apple when MAYOR was running. I finally said, let me talk to the sales manager of the company, as my project can mean thousands of iPads, and I have NO WHERE. One Apple employee even told me that they do not have sales managers in the enterprise.

If this were not enough, although we are just in proof of the concept phase, we are already receiving a request for other options. These other options will require access to the OS, which Apple yes. We immediately switch to Android.

Sorry, Apple, I love you, but you are lost here.

Answer 3

If you are using an iPad, you should consider whether it can support the power of a USB device. See Using a powered USB port.

Answer 4

Your idea is to place the tablet behind another piece of glass / plastic neat. To deal with remote control, you might consider running some Bluetooth programs.

My mobile development was mainly with iOS, so I am prone to this SDK. I mentioned that the data / sync / charge port for iOS (I believe) has never changed. Your Gen 1 iPhone Sync Cord works on your iPhone 4 ... and iPad or iPad 2. So, in terms of third-party hardware, you can see more consistency with Apple.

I did not find a good answer as to whether it is easier to perform Bluetooth programming for iOS or Android , but I believe that to remain cost-effective, you can see which one is more open for third-party devices. Here's a post / answer to a question about iOS and third-party Bluetooth devices ; I did not find anything on Android regarding third-party Bluetooth remote controls, but considering that many Android devices are third-party, your chances from a naive perspective seem pretty good. Here is the Android Bluetooth API .

Buying an iOS or Android portable device to remotely control your iOS or Android tablet seems a little cool, but again, maybe not. The cost also depends on your ratio of remotes and tablets. 1: 1? 1: N? N: 1? N: M +

The cheapest iPod is priced at $ 229 as of May 20, 2011. Android has more variety in terms of hardware. You can get a cheap Android phone without a service plan to act as a remote Bluetooth for the Android tab.

Answer 5

We produce desktop kiosks that support both Android and iPad devices. In fact, we are the only iPad kiosk approved by Apple.

In general, I think it will be easier for you to work with the iPad, as the software and hardware will remain more consistent over time. This is important if you need to change the failure block or deploy more stalls after 6 months or a year when the original device will no longer be produced.

Answer 6

I provided a solution for kiosk mode using the iPad here Lock iPhone / iPod / iPad so that it can only run one application

I am afraid that I really do not know for Android if the same is possible.

To solve the problem of failed applications, you can use the exception trampoline (see the discussion here https://blog.compeople.eu/apps/?p=275 ) to catch the failure and restart your application computer.

If the whole device rebooted, then you can start other applications that are on the device and will subsequently be blocked.

To answer your other questions:

• You can use the configuration profile to control network access. Forced to use a VPN or proxy server, which allows you to use only your own application with built-in credentials. In this way, access to another network can be prevented.

• Your concern for future compatibility. The Android market is so fragmented that maintaining the fleet is difficult.

• If you have an application that behaves like a server and is locked, remote control is possible.