06-06-2002, 07:47 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Deliver kiosk applications
http://www.softspb.com/products/kioskengine/index.html
One of the most challenging application deployment features that come back to haunt you every now and again is exclusive program execution. Exclusive program execution is when you need to design your application so that when it runs, nothing else than your functionality is available. No Start menu, no hardware buttons -- just your application. Spb Software House has just released a Kiosk Engine that provides a kiosk mode for any given application, and that might do the trick if you need exclusive program execution.
Spb Kiosk Engine features:
� Prevents switching from the target application;
� Provides a full screen mode;
� Automatically starts the target application after soft reset;
� Can be used with most enterprise applications;
� Admin mode can be entered by pressing the 'secret' hardware keys sequence. In admin mode a device can be used without restrictions;
� Supports eMbedded Visual Basic applications;
� 2 predefined target applications: Pocket Internet Explorer and Terminal Services Client;
� Replaces the home page with a custom one when used with Pocket Internet Explorer
Interesting feature set! My own objections are more philosophical, and lead me not go down the exclusive program execution path to easily. I believe in the users. Users are smart, not stupid. Users learn more if the get to play with the PC / Pocket PC. Users want freedom, don't lock them in. And so on. However, sometimes exclusive program execution is the only answer, and I welcome Spb Kiosk Engine to the Pocket PC developer toolbox!
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06-06-2002, 04:11 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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Actually, this could fill a real need for certain situations, like for data collection. I often get asked by enterprise admins for a way to automatically start an application and "lock down" the device.
What you say is true; we shouldn't underestimate users' desire to play with a device and get to know how it operates. There are many times, though, when also we shouldn't underestimate untrained or unsupervised users' ability to really "alter" a device. Last year on the Mobile Experience Tour, the first thing we did each day was re-image all of the display devices in order to erase the previous day's shenanigans.
I'm going to give this a try...
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