POS Hardware:  

Through Dell, you can customize the computer and any of the peripherals that come with your package to meet the needs of your business. The Dell Basic Solution comes standard with a 17” flat panel monitor, a compact cash drawer with peripheral organizer, a keyboard, a barcode scanner and a dual-color thermal receipt printer.

You can add additional peripherals, like a touch screen monitor, a customer display, signature capture and keypad devices and even a label printer. The hardware of this system can truly be customized to fit your business—add what you need and don’t pay for items you’ll never use.

Unlike some of the other complete POS systems, the Dell unit is a fully functional computer. This means you can access the Internet, use office applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint and any other programs you might consider, including accounting programs. There is no need to have a separate PC to operate other programs for your small retail business.

POS Software:  

QuickBooks is a user–friendly point of sale program that is more than sufficient for any small retail store. The main screen allows you to access any part of the program including Point of Sale, Inventory, Purchasing, Quick Find, Learning and Other Tasks.

Simply select the icon of the task you’d like to perform, whether it’s Make a Sale, Receive Items, Sales History, Reports and so forth. The software will take you to that section of the program where you can enter the information. QuickBooks Point of Sale updates the inventory immediately.

QuickBooks offers a complete and striaightforward solution to POS software. With QuickBooks POS you'll be able to do much more than simply make transactions. You will be able to track inventory in realtime, track customer information and purchase history, and even integrate with your accounting software.

Functionality/Ease of Use:  

Because the Dell hardware and QuickBooks software come as a package, all components integrate smoothly. The first time you use your system, QuickBooks will search for and integrate your selected hardware. The system is simple to set up and use from start to finish. The software is simple to navigate, and the peripherals are similarly easy to use.

Price/Value:  

With a starting price of $2,745 (at the time of this review) for software and hardware, the Dell/QuickBooks package is a good value. The nice thing about this system is it eliminates the need to buy a separate PC. Furthermore, because it is so customizable, you can upgrade or exclude features to fit your budget.

Training/Support:  

Dell comes with an incredible three–year parts and labor warranty. From their website you can contact customer service via phone, email or instant chat. For more common questions, check out the knowledgebase or customer forums.

QuickBooks provides toll–free phone support to answer any of your questions.

Bottom line—the Dell/QuickBooks is the best software–based, all–in–one point of sale system for the merchant that is just getting started, or who wants to operate his or her store more efficiently by upgrading to a computer–based POS. With a host of package options and additional hardware choices, this solution is easy to customize. Whatever choices you make, you can be assured that your system will be a great option, combining great hardware with a solid Dell computer, and phenomenal QuickBooks POS software.