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0 pointsseanp2k210y ago0 comments

Your comment may sound sarcastic on the first read, but I agree with the point; don't use Windows when what you needed could be done with a micro controller or a physical circuit. Not sure if the application here fits that at all, but I've definitely seen things like you-do-it check-outs, ATMs, billboards, etc running Windows. I would think that these systems would be much better off with something like a hardened micro controller running a remote display system vs a multi-gigabyte operating system.

With Windows 10, this problem will likely get a whole lot worse. What do you do when MS pushes a forced update to your deployed devices and it bricks some of them? http://m.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/06/microsoft_update_asus_...

What about when you can't disable Cortana (without breaking the start menu) and you're in a HIPAA / PCI environment? http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-uninstall-and-remove-cortana-...

As we've seen with things like SCADA, switching from Windows is not a silver bullet, but in terms of minimizing the complexity and attack surface, Windows seems to be starting at the opposite end of the spectrum.

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tremon10y ago

Oh, I didn't even mean my comment to be about Windows vs dedicated OS, at least not directly. When administered correctly and properly fenced off, using a modern Windows system is not a cardinal sin. Although I will admit that Windows 10, with its non-optional feature cadence, brings additional uncertainty.

However, I do question "it looks like Windows" as a valid rationale for what appears to be a single-purpose machine. I don't think it's likely that staff are using the operating room equipment as a desktop machine, so presumably they only care about the in-app user interface. And an application interface can be made to "look like Windows" regardless of what OS it's running on.

morgante10y ago

Exactly.

If users are never meant to interact with the OS itself (airport terminals, ATMs, displays, etc.) then it makes absolutely no sense to use Windows.