PMI, but my vote is neither. First off, Malcolm hasn't made clear where SQL Server is residing. Secondly, are these handhelds connected via a wireless LAN or is there a beginning of day/end of day reconciliation via hard wire or diskette?

I have been through this exercise before and it wasn't a pretty one. My vote, assuming a server that is not any one of the aforementioned machines, is (gasp!) a CUI (yes CUI, not GUI) ASCII terminal as the main POS with the server running Linux or UNIX. No mess, no fuss. Less moving parts (no Windows), causing fewer goofy things like corrupted data when the clerk shuts down the POS without formally shutting down.

My recommendation for the handhelds would have to wait for an explanation of their connectivity.



>>>>My question, sorry it took so long to get here, what would be the right tool here? We've been talking a lot about the "right tool for the job". Since both the mian cash register and the handheld will use a datacentric application, I'm thinking VFP only. An associate said I should use VB on the handheld.
>>>>
>>>
>>>If the handheld unit is running under CE, VFP is not an option.CE requires that you use a special version of VB or VC++ that generates code that will run under WIndows CE.
>>
>>The handheld will run Windows95/98.
>>
>
>Make sure you have plenty of RAM, and before using it in production, test the suspend/standby features to make sure your app wakes up gracefully when he system does the power-saving thing. I've seen more than one VFP app that was not pleased when a laptop powered down the hard drive. Win98's APM is significantly better than Win95's IMO.