Open Forum

I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 
-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

Hi Landon,

We are actually in the midst of an in house kiosk upgrade.  In our case we are actually having a few full service purchase kiosks built, but we are building the software.  
We did look at the possibility of using tablet kiosks.
It sounds like in your case you will not be accepting payments, just providing information to the visitor.  
If this is the case, Android tables in locked kiosk stands work great.  There are a lot of great kiosk stands for Android tablets. Just spec out a good tablet with the horse power that you need.  

We are an in house team here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and depending on the needs of the kiosk and time constraints, is how you would like to go about building the app or software.

If you have in house expertise, I would highly suggest doing it all in-house.  This will provide you the flexibility and agility that if something just happens to the software, app or tablet. You can address it right away instead of waiting for an outside contractor to come in and reinstall a new version or fix something on the kiosk.   If there are any immediate changes, then that means your in-house team can move quickly to on the project and have the kiosk up an running faster than waiting for an outside contractor to schedule you into their schedule.

To lock down to a specific program, on Android anyways, do a search on the Google Play store for a Kiosk app.  This will allow you to only allow one app to be opened in Kiosk mode. which will not allow the app to leave until a passcode is entered. The also gets rid of all nav bars, etc.  Also in the app the navbars should be hidden in itself as well.

For an app you would need to figure out whether you want a:

• Native app (most expensive and time. Installs natively on the device as an app)
• Hybrid app (mix of native functionality and use of the webview. Built mainly with HTML, CSS and Javascript but can access many of the devices hardware. Medium expense and can be used across many platforms with one code base.)
• Web app (Pretty much a website that looks like and app.  This is the least expensive, least time consuming because you serve up the page from a server. And can be VERY quickly updated by just refreshing the browser on the device)

Just some suggestions.  If you have an more questions, feel free to reply back.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
User Interface and User Experience Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science

and

Freelance Website and Hybrid app Designer and Developer
www.carlosmosqueda.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

We've been experimenting with iPads with very little success.  We have to do much of our work in-house and have no in-house ap-writing capabilities.  At first we thought we could put an html game on an intranet and run on the iPad.  Didn't work.  Ended up with a very simple slide show instead.  Still, the public breaks into it and changes the settings constantly.  Also, we leave it running 24/7 to make it easier for opening/closing the galleries.  Still, I have to power them down completely once a week or they freeze up but powering them down actually does resolve this issue.

We had an outside group create a kiosk with an iPad.  They hired someone to write an ap which is very nice when it is working.  This one gets tampered with less, but also constantly crashes.  This one is also married to large screen TV for additional viewing and getting these to sink sometimes goes haywire.  Breaking in and rebooting this one is a royal pain making opening the gallery time consuming.

Overall, I have to admit, we have not been happy with iPads as kiosks.  I think kiosks should be somewhat bullet-proof and these just don't seem to fit the bill.  Would love to hear how others have made these or other tablets work with success.
-------------------------------------------
Dana Neitzel
Curator
San Mateo County Historical Association
Redwood City CA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

As Dana said,
iPads and Android tablets are a bit hit and miss. If you really want something more resistant to tampering, I would suggest just using a PC, writing your app or a web app for that. There are A LOT better controls and software to lock down a full fledged PCs. It can be an all in one or a touch screen hooked up to an external PC locked into a case.  
In most cases, they cost much less or on par with an iPad or tablet with a Kiosk case and stand.  Plus a PC or Surface Pro can have MUCH better graphic, horse power, and storage and they can be on a secure network.  iPads and Android Tablets are harder for security in terms of data transfer.

-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO
-------------------------------------------




Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 12:13 PM
From: Dana Neitzel
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


We've been experimenting with iPads with very little success.  We have to do much of our work in-house and have no in-house ap-writing capabilities.  At first we thought we could put an html game on an intranet and run on the iPad.  Didn't work.  Ended up with a very simple slide show instead.  Still, the public breaks into it and changes the settings constantly.  Also, we leave it running 24/7 to make it easier for opening/closing the galleries.  Still, I have to power them down completely once a week or they freeze up but powering them down actually does resolve this issue.

We had an outside group create a kiosk with an iPad.  They hired someone to write an ap which is very nice when it is working.  This one gets tampered with less, but also constantly crashes.  This one is also married to large screen TV for additional viewing and getting these to sink sometimes goes haywire.  Breaking in and rebooting this one is a royal pain making opening the gallery time consuming.

Overall, I have to admit, we have not been happy with iPads as kiosks.  I think kiosks should be somewhat bullet-proof and these just don't seem to fit the bill.  Would love to hear how others have made these or other tablets work with success.
-------------------------------------------
Dana Neitzel
Curator
San Mateo County Historical Association
Redwood City CA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

Hi Landon,

We are actually in the midst of an in house kiosk upgrade.  In our case we are actually having a few full service purchase kiosks built, but we are building the software.  
We did look at the possibility of using tablet kiosks.
It sounds like in your case you will not be accepting payments, just providing information to the visitor.  
If this is the case, Android tables in locked kiosk stands work great.  There are a lot of great kiosk stands for Android tablets. Just spec out a good tablet with the horse power that you need.  

We are an in house team here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and depending on the needs of the kiosk and time constraints, is how you would like to go about building the app or software.

If you have in house expertise, I would highly suggest doing it all in-house.  This will provide you the flexibility and agility that if something just happens to the software, app or tablet. You can address it right away instead of waiting for an outside contractor to come in and reinstall a new version or fix something on the kiosk.   If there are any immediate changes, then that means your in-house team can move quickly to on the project and have the kiosk up an running faster than waiting for an outside contractor to schedule you into their schedule.

To lock down to a specific program, on Android anyways, do a search on the Google Play store for a Kiosk app.  This will allow you to only allow one app to be opened in Kiosk mode. which will not allow the app to leave until a passcode is entered. The also gets rid of all nav bars, etc.  Also in the app the navbars should be hidden in itself as well.

For an app you would need to figure out whether you want a:

• Native app (most expensive and time. Installs natively on the device as an app)
• Hybrid app (mix of native functionality and use of the webview. Built mainly with HTML, CSS and Javascript but can access many of the devices hardware. Medium expense and can be used across many platforms with one code base.)
• Web app (Pretty much a website that looks like and app.  This is the least expensive, least time consuming because you serve up the page from a server. And can be VERY quickly updated by just refreshing the browser on the device)

Just some suggestions.  If you have an more questions, feel free to reply back.

-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO

and

Freelance Website and Hybrid app Designer and Developer
www.carlosmosqueda.com
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for the feedback!

Your recommendations have definitely intrigued me, so I will be sure to widen my scope while searching for alternatives. However, for the scale of the museum and the typical traffic, I imagine tablets will likely serve our needs well enough.

I am interested in learning more about some other systems though. From what I have seen while searching and as was mentioned in the recent "Digital Signage" thread, BrightSign seems to be a decent system for displays. As I am new to most of these digital mediums, how does a system like BrightSign work? I watched an instructional video on the author software, and that seems like a fairly simple and versatile system to work with. How well does it work with interactive touchscreen displays? What kind of screens is one typically using with these systems?

Sorry for all the questions, but even after looking at their website and with general internet searches I am not finding answers.

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 01:12 PM
From: Carlos Mosqueda
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

Hi Landon,

We are actually in the midst of an in house kiosk upgrade.  In our case we are actually having a few full service purchase kiosks built, but we are building the software.  
We did look at the possibility of using tablet kiosks.
It sounds like in your case you will not be accepting payments, just providing information to the visitor.  
If this is the case, Android tables in locked kiosk stands work great.  There are a lot of great kiosk stands for Android tablets. Just spec out a good tablet with the horse power that you need.  

We are an in house team here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and depending on the needs of the kiosk and time constraints, is how you would like to go about building the app or software.

If you have in house expertise, I would highly suggest doing it all in-house.  This will provide you the flexibility and agility that if something just happens to the software, app or tablet. You can address it right away instead of waiting for an outside contractor to come in and reinstall a new version or fix something on the kiosk.   If there are any immediate changes, then that means your in-house team can move quickly to on the project and have the kiosk up an running faster than waiting for an outside contractor to schedule you into their schedule.

To lock down to a specific program, on Android anyways, do a search on the Google Play store for a Kiosk app.  This will allow you to only allow one app to be opened in Kiosk mode. which will not allow the app to leave until a passcode is entered. The also gets rid of all nav bars, etc.  Also in the app the navbars should be hidden in itself as well.

For an app you would need to figure out whether you want a:

• Native app (most expensive and time. Installs natively on the device as an app)
• Hybrid app (mix of native functionality and use of the webview. Built mainly with HTML, CSS and Javascript but can access many of the devices hardware. Medium expense and can be used across many platforms with one code base.)
• Web app (Pretty much a website that looks like and app.  This is the least expensive, least time consuming because you serve up the page from a server. And can be VERY quickly updated by just refreshing the browser on the device)

Just some suggestions.  If you have an more questions, feel free to reply back.

-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO

and

Freelance Website and Hybrid app Designer and Developer
www.carlosmosqueda.com
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

Here we use both iPads and Android, it really depends on what the museum is trying to service in regards of user interaction. For both I use the MacLock stands, I've tried the ones from Display2Go, but they don't hold up and they allow patrons to rip the cords out to recharge their own device.

The app I use 85% of the time for the iPads is Kiosk Pro Plus, along with the native security lockouts to prevent industrial little hackers from interfering with the programs. We find teenagers and younger like the programming on the devices versus reading labels because they identify with the tech. For our older patrons that are looking for more facts we use the android devices with a html file that doesn't reach out to the internet to share more details about a particular object that can't be done with a regular label.

We have larger monitor kiosk but with technology moving so fast they become quickly out dated and without a dedicated IT department, the equipment becomes another liability of maintenance. The positive apps are becoming cloud based with IT support. That helps if you have no IT or docents that are tech savvy and it's just you. The bad, these services are generally subscription based required internet access and depending on the pockets of the museum may become not financially viable to keep.

I do agree you need someone who has some savvy with this technology, in the wrong hands it can become a liability of wasted equipment and time. It helps if you can partner with a local college or university that has a technology program that will allow the students to create an app for the museum as credit to their degree with proven work experience.

Good Luck!

-------------------------------------------
Rochelle Coslow-Robinson
Exhibit Programs Director
AACA Museum - Antique Auto Club of America
Hershey PA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 08:17 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

Thank you so much for the feedback!

Your recommendations have definitely intrigued me, so I will be sure to widen my scope while searching for alternatives. However, for the scale of the museum and the typical traffic, I imagine tablets will likely serve our needs well enough.

I am interested in learning more about some other systems though. From what I have seen while searching and as was mentioned in the recent "Digital Signage" thread, BrightSign seems to be a decent system for displays. As I am new to most of these digital mediums, how does a system like BrightSign work? I watched an instructional video on the author software, and that seems like a fairly simple and versatile system to work with. How well does it work with interactive touchscreen displays? What kind of screens is one typically using with these systems?

Sorry for all the questions, but even after looking at their website and with general internet searches I am not finding answers.

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 01:12 PM
From: Carlos Mosqueda
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

Hi Landon,

We are actually in the midst of an in house kiosk upgrade.  In our case we are actually having a few full service purchase kiosks built, but we are building the software.  
We did look at the possibility of using tablet kiosks.
It sounds like in your case you will not be accepting payments, just providing information to the visitor.  
If this is the case, Android tables in locked kiosk stands work great.  There are a lot of great kiosk stands for Android tablets. Just spec out a good tablet with the horse power that you need.  

We are an in house team here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and depending on the needs of the kiosk and time constraints, is how you would like to go about building the app or software.

If you have in house expertise, I would highly suggest doing it all in-house.  This will provide you the flexibility and agility that if something just happens to the software, app or tablet. You can address it right away instead of waiting for an outside contractor to come in and reinstall a new version or fix something on the kiosk.   If there are any immediate changes, then that means your in-house team can move quickly to on the project and have the kiosk up an running faster than waiting for an outside contractor to schedule you into their schedule.

To lock down to a specific program, on Android anyways, do a search on the Google Play store for a Kiosk app.  This will allow you to only allow one app to be opened in Kiosk mode. which will not allow the app to leave until a passcode is entered. The also gets rid of all nav bars, etc.  Also in the app the navbars should be hidden in itself as well.

For an app you would need to figure out whether you want a:

• Native app (most expensive and time. Installs natively on the device as an app)
• Hybrid app (mix of native functionality and use of the webview. Built mainly with HTML, CSS and Javascript but can access many of the devices hardware. Medium expense and can be used across many platforms with one code base.)
• Web app (Pretty much a website that looks like and app.  This is the least expensive, least time consuming because you serve up the page from a server. And can be VERY quickly updated by just refreshing the browser on the device)

Just some suggestions.  If you have an more questions, feel free to reply back.

-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO

and

Freelance Website and Hybrid app Designer and Developer
www.carlosmosqueda.com
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

Hello, Landon.

I'm a bit biased but I agree with Dana and Carlos that tablets are just not what they are cracked up to be.  Sure, they are sleek and cool looking but the ease, functionality; durability and security are just not there (for a museum setting) compared to an all-in-one PC based kiosk unit or components that you can build into your own case work.  If you did go for a tablet, I'd go with a Surface or something running Windows that you can simply install your own software onto rather than being locked into downloading from an App store, etc. which can sometimes cost you extra time and money.

My company has been developing interactive museum media and digital signage systems (including BrightSign) for the better part of 20 years if you'd like to email me or call to discuss some ideas/options.

Best of luck!

-------------------------------------------
Kevin Heyer
Vice President, Sales
C.D. Meyer, Inc./point2explore
Fairfield NJ
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 08:17 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

Thank you so much for the feedback!

Your recommendations have definitely intrigued me, so I will be sure to widen my scope while searching for alternatives. However, for the scale of the museum and the typical traffic, I imagine tablets will likely serve our needs well enough.

I am interested in learning more about some other systems though. From what I have seen while searching and as was mentioned in the recent "Digital Signage" thread, BrightSign seems to be a decent system for displays. As I am new to most of these digital mediums, how does a system like BrightSign work? I watched an instructional video on the author software, and that seems like a fairly simple and versatile system to work with. How well does it work with interactive touchscreen displays? What kind of screens is one typically using with these systems?

Sorry for all the questions, but even after looking at their website and with general internet searches I am not finding answers.

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2015 01:12 PM
From: Carlos Mosqueda
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

Hi Landon,

We are actually in the midst of an in house kiosk upgrade.  In our case we are actually having a few full service purchase kiosks built, but we are building the software.  
We did look at the possibility of using tablet kiosks.
It sounds like in your case you will not be accepting payments, just providing information to the visitor.  
If this is the case, Android tables in locked kiosk stands work great.  There are a lot of great kiosk stands for Android tablets. Just spec out a good tablet with the horse power that you need.  

We are an in house team here at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and depending on the needs of the kiosk and time constraints, is how you would like to go about building the app or software.

If you have in house expertise, I would highly suggest doing it all in-house.  This will provide you the flexibility and agility that if something just happens to the software, app or tablet. You can address it right away instead of waiting for an outside contractor to come in and reinstall a new version or fix something on the kiosk.   If there are any immediate changes, then that means your in-house team can move quickly to on the project and have the kiosk up an running faster than waiting for an outside contractor to schedule you into their schedule.

To lock down to a specific program, on Android anyways, do a search on the Google Play store for a Kiosk app.  This will allow you to only allow one app to be opened in Kiosk mode. which will not allow the app to leave until a passcode is entered. The also gets rid of all nav bars, etc.  Also in the app the navbars should be hidden in itself as well.

For an app you would need to figure out whether you want a:

• Native app (most expensive and time. Installs natively on the device as an app)
• Hybrid app (mix of native functionality and use of the webview. Built mainly with HTML, CSS and Javascript but can access many of the devices hardware. Medium expense and can be used across many platforms with one code base.)
• Web app (Pretty much a website that looks like and app.  This is the least expensive, least time consuming because you serve up the page from a server. And can be VERY quickly updated by just refreshing the browser on the device)

Just some suggestions.  If you have an more questions, feel free to reply back.

-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO

and

Freelance Website and Hybrid app Designer and Developer
www.carlosmosqueda.com
-------------------------------------------






Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

I have been using several types of media players for years and what I find is that some some devices are better then others depending on your needs.

Brightsign
We use Brightsign for video interactives and simple games but these unites come at a price of $400+ so to use a Brightsign player as a simple video player kills me because of the cost.  These are great devices and would recommend them.

Mini Android PC's
I found Mini Android PC's (its an android device without a screen) work great!.  For $80 I can create a simple video loop and can attach the unit to large HD monitors with a very small profile (Mini Android PCs measure 3.5L x .5D x 1.5w)  I have been successfully using unites like this for a couple of years now and all you need are a few free apps that will auto boot and auto start your video.  I am now using a newer version the can use an ELO touch screen and although still testing I am finding that these unite can be great for either a web or an app interactive.  Note you can use Flash 6 pro to create Android apps easily.

Android tablets
We are now looking into using Android tablets as digital label copy.  The idea is that the unites would get mounted on the wall giving visitors the ability to view different version of the label copy (e.g. Kid, Family & Adult copy).  We can also go deeper with the content like having pictures of the back side of an object, audio and/or video.  Android tablets have several apps that can put the tablet in kiosk mode. allowing the unit to auto start your app.  Android devices are much more affordable then iPads and much easier to "Root" (allow full access to the Android systems) making them much easier to use.

Another feature that I have used for Android devices is to create a local web server (creating a local web site) to run web sites/apps in areas where you don't have WiFi.  

iPads
I have looked at iPads and what I find is that they are expensive and you will need a custom app to allow the unit to auto boot into the app or staff would be needed to start the apps.  I have not looked at the iPad option in a while and this may have changed since I last researched tablets.  I have had great success with Android devices and have not looked at iPads as an option.

Windows PC
I now use Fanless PC for anything that requires more power and more stability and that requires Flash.  These unites are industrial quality and do not need fans and can be placed in inaccessible areas if necessary.  These unites are about the size of a Brightsign unit and cost about the same.  We have also started to look at the Microsoft Surface only because it has a full Windows OS.  

Hope this helps

-------------------------------------------
Raymond Stivala
Newark Museum
Manager of Web & Multimedia Development
Newark NJ
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------

We've been happy with our use of iPad kiosks in our galleries. While they are more expensive than Android tablets, iPads are instantly recognizable by the visitor as something to touch and interact with.

We've bought off the shelf housing and stands for the tablets which have (so far) been secure. Many of the iPad kiosk stands and housing are modular, so we can use just the housing when we want to mount the iPad on a shelf or wall. Great flexibility.

For a very fair price you can install KioskPro which has been a bulletproof secure lock for our content (once we adapted to newer iOS which have some subtleties).

With CSS3 and HTML5, a wifi connection, mySQL db backend, and in-house developers we are able to create fullscreen webpages that, for the visitor, look and feel like an "app" experience. There are some idiosyncrasies about how iOS/Safari deals with modern html parsing, but nothing that can't be overcome.

For me the biggest drawback of the iPad is screen size. We are experimenting with the Nabi big tablet.

-------------------------------------------
Brad Evans
Director of Exhibits
ignatz@bishopmuseum.org
Bishop Museum
Honolulu HI
-------------------------------------------

Videotel (in business for over 34 years now) has seen a trend in interactive digital signage within museum exhibits.  I am happy to educate you on our interactive digital signage solution that allows your visitors to trigger content with either LED push buttons, motion sensors and or proximity sensors.  This solution is designed to be cost at a price point of $533.00.  

-------------------------------------------
Lisa Schneider
Vice President of Sales & Business Development
Videotel, Inc.
Chula Vista CA
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-06-2015 01:13 PM
From: brad evans
Subject: Tablet Kiosks

We've been happy with our use of iPad kiosks in our galleries. While they are more expensive than Android tablets, iPads are instantly recognizable by the visitor as something to touch and interact with.

We've bought off the shelf housing and stands for the tablets which have (so far) been secure. Many of the iPad kiosk stands and housing are modular, so we can use just the housing when we want to mount the iPad on a shelf or wall. Great flexibility.

For a very fair price you can install KioskPro which has been a bulletproof secure lock for our content (once we adapted to newer iOS which have some subtleties).

With CSS3 and HTML5, a wifi connection, mySQL db backend, and in-house developers we are able to create fullscreen webpages that, for the visitor, look and feel like an "app" experience. There are some idiosyncrasies about how iOS/Safari deals with modern html parsing, but nothing that can't be overcome.

For me the biggest drawback of the iPad is screen size. We are experimenting with the Nabi big tablet.

-------------------------------------------
Brad Evans
Director of Exhibits
ignatz@bishopmuseum.org
Bishop Museum
Honolulu HI
-------------------------------------------

Here is my latest projects.  I used an interactive Brightsign player and the other is a Android Mini PC HD player to play a looping video.

Another idea for the "Tablet Kiosk" would be to use the new version of the Android Mini PC and use an ELO touch screen.  This combination would allow for a larger screen (or smaller) and can be mounted on a wall or built into a Kiosk.  The Android Mini PC is so small that is could be tucked away almost anywhere.  If you need a more powerful system or need to run Flash I would recommend fanless PC. 


-------------------------------------------
Raymond Stivala
Manager of Web & Multimedia Development
Newark NJ
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-04-2015 06:51 PM
From: Landon Wilkey
Subject: Tablet Kiosks


I am assisting in a project where we hope to install some tablets as kiosks in our museum to enhance some of our exhibits. In most of my research I have found that Apple iPads seem to be the most common tablet used, but that Android tablets should be able to function just as well. 

First off, if anyone has used tablets for kiosks, what do you like or dislike about the particular tablets you chose? 

What software/interface do you use or recommend for Android or Apple systems? Was it done by a professional, outside source?

Internet connection is available, so I'm sure we could create a website and apply proper procedure to lock the device to that program. However, I do feel that a clean, simple interface with limited options (so the visitor is not overwhelmed) would be superior for our purposes. 

Clearly, this option appears cheaper than professional kiosks, and I assume one has more freedom with a device such as a tablet as it shouldn't be too difficult to alter it for another exhibit or purpose further down the road.

Any feedback on this topic would be appreciated. Thanks!

Landon

-------------------------------------------
Landon Wilkey
History Teaching Major
Utah State University
-------------------------------------------