X Power Tools

Chapter 15. Building a Kiosk

What Is a Kiosk, and Why Do I Want One?

A kiosk is a publicly accessible computer display dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks. Here are some examples:

• An electronic catalog station in a library

• An automated teller machine

• A ticket-vending machine

• A video wall

• A browsing and word-processing system in an Internet café

Many of these applications—including the library card catalog and ticket-vending machine—are most easily developed and deployed using a restricted, browser-based interface.

Kiosks differ from normal user-interface configurations in the way that they are managed. Many kiosks do not offer normal windows, and instead run a single application that takes up the entire display; others offer a limited selection of applications in a normal window environment. The user-interface hardware may also be more limited than in a desktop configuration—for example, there may be no keyboard—and it may be more rugged: a trackball or touchscreen to control the pointer instead of a mouse.

In all cases, a kiosk configuration will strictly limit what the user can do and be robust enough that it will handle most error situations without intervention. This chapter covers configuring a kiosk using standard applications and tools.

Selecting Kiosk Hardware

If your kiosk will be used only by selected, trusted users (e.g., staff) or in a light-duty environment (Internet café), you may be able to get by with regular PC hardware.

For any other purpose, you will probably ...