Tablets used by Carnival Security for Embarkation/Disembarkation

[plettza]

I have a somewhat strange request regarding Carnival Security's tablets that are used to scan Sail and Sign cards as one embarks and disembarks the ship.  I'd like to know what brand/model they are.  Every time I get scanned by the tablets, they're faultless at bringing up passenger details quickly and reliably.  In fact, they're so quick, I don't even get a chance to glance at any branding on them.  

 

The reason I ask I'd like to see if someone has the tune the tablets make (that "ding-a-ling-ding" sound) as an audio file for my phone.  I don't know, I just really like the sound the tablets make!

 

Second, I work in IT in a hospital system and admin staff currently use Datalogic barcode scanners to order stock items.  They're unreliable and slow.  The Carnival tablets just seem really snappy to be able scan a moving passenger's Sail and Sign barcode from a foot away.  If the company that makes them offers them for ordering, inventory purposes, I might talk to our procurement team about getting these tablets if the price is right and battery life is adequate.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[LzyCruiser_NWA]

9 hours ago, plettza said:

I have a somewhat strange request regarding Carnival Security's tablets that are used to scan Sail and Sign cards as one embarks and disembarks the ship.  I'd like to know what brand/model they are.  Every time I get scanned by the tablets, they're faultless at bringing up passenger details quickly and reliably.  In fact, they're so quick, I don't even get a chance to glance at any branding on them.  

Any help is appreciated.

From What I've seen it's just standard android tablet running a custom portal linked to the ship's wifi.

If you're really curious I can ask this saturday when we board 🙂

[shof515]

1 hour ago, LzyCruiser_NWA said:

From What I've seen it's just standard android tablet running a custom portal linked to the ship's wifi.

If you're really curious I can ask this saturday when we board 🙂

 

that is what i noticed too.

 

I also work in the IT field and one thing i noticed over the years, almost all of the off the shelf software that is part of the one size fits all approach is always bloated and slow. An in house custom built solution on both the back end  and application on the actual device is always always faster.

For our inventory solution, we been using regular USB barcode scanners with WASP (https://www.waspbarcode.com/) for years with no issues. Most of the issues we do get is a connectivity issue when our network gets a bit drunk/tipsy for some odd reason that can make wasp not fully sync sometimes

Edited March 10, 2019 by shof515

[plettza]

14 hours ago, LzyCruiser_NWA said:

From What I've seen it's just standard android tablet running a custom portal linked to the ship's wifi.

If you're really curious I can ask this saturday when we board 🙂

 

 

I thought it might've been but the bright light that illuminates the Sail and Sign cards doesn't look like the standard flash so I thought it's a custom rig.  I'm just impressed how quickly it scans hundreds of passengers.

 

I wanted to ask security but never wanted to hold the line up talkin' tech whilst other people are trying to get back onboard.

[plettza]

13 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

that is what i noticed too.

 

I also work in the IT field and one thing i noticed over the years, almost all of the off the shelf software that is part of the one size fits all approach is always bloated and slow. An in house custom built solution on both the back end  and application on the actual device is always always faster.

For our inventory solution, we been using regular USB barcode scanners with WASP (https://www.waspbarcode.com/) for years with no issues. Most of the issues we do get is a connectivity issue when our network gets a bit drunk/tipsy for some odd reason that can make wasp not fully sync sometimes

 

Our Datalogic units are clunky.  They run an ancient version of Windows CE with a customised program on top.  There're handheld but there's no wi-fi connection.  The user must dock the device into a cradle.  The cradle then utilises Microsoft Mobile Device Center.  This then uploads what they've scanned to our ordering system.  Conversely, to get updated stock items, the user needs to run a program that then downloads new stock information to scanner (i.e. if medical products have been replaced or discounted).  The whole system is slow and difficult to diagnose issues with.  I was just amazed at how accurately and quickly these scan when I saw these tablets aboard Carnival ships.

[plettza]

Just to follow with what I found when we cruised.  The tbalets appear to be Panasonic Toughbooks running Windows.  I'm not sure what version as the app they use to scan is full-screen and not windowed.  There's a small Windows logo (which looks like the Windows 8 logo) which presumably acts as the start button.

[Aplmac]

4 hours ago, plettza said:

Just to follow with what I found when we cruised. 

The tablets appear to be Panasonic Toughbooks running Windows. 

.

Thanks for that.

Panasonic seems to make quite a line of these tablets/laptops.

If I ever get a laptop, it could be one of these.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toughbook

[Keys2Heaven]

On 3/9/2019 at 11:55 PM, plettza said:

I have a somewhat strange request regarding Carnival Security's tablets that are used to scan Sail and Sign cards as one embarks and disembarks the ship.  I'd like to know what brand/model they are.  Every time I get scanned by the tablets, they're faultless at bringing up passenger details quickly and reliably.  In fact, they're so quick, I don't even get a chance to glance at any branding on them.  

 

The reason I ask I'd like to see if someone has the tune the tablets make (that "ding-a-ling-ding" sound) as an audio file for my phone.  I don't know, I just really like the sound the tablets make!

 

Second, I work in IT in a hospital system and admin staff currently use Datalogic barcode scanners to order stock items.  They're unreliable and slow.  The Carnival tablets just seem really snappy to be able scan a moving passenger's Sail and Sign barcode from a foot away.  If the company that makes them offers them for ordering, inventory purposes, I might talk to our procurement team about getting these tablets if the price is right and battery life is adequate.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

We used Welch Allyn barcode scanners. Very quick.

[Keys2Heaven]

On 3/11/2019 at 12:50 AM, plettza said:

 

Our Datalogic units are clunky.  They run an ancient version of Windows CE with a customised program on top.  There're handheld but there's no wi-fi connection.  The user must dock the device into a cradle.  The cradle then utilises Microsoft Mobile Device Center.  This then uploads what they've scanned to our ordering system.  Conversely, to get updated stock items, the user needs to run a program that then downloads new stock information to scanner (i.e. if medical products have been replaced or discounted).  The whole system is slow and difficult to diagnose issues with.  I was just amazed at how accurately and quickly these scan when I saw these tablets aboard Carnival ships.

 

Your hospital needs a better IT budget.  Windows CE?

[CA_Cruzing]

4 hours ago, Keys2Heaven said:

 

Your hospital needs a better IT budget.  Windows CE?

Windows CE. Crappy Edition. 

Edited April 19, 2019 by CA_Cruzing

[mjktg99]

In my health system, we use zebra TC 75 which run Android.  I can't speak to the performance but when I configure them with our MDM, they run well.

[plettza]

8 hours ago, Keys2Heaven said:

 

Your hospital needs a better IT budget.  Windows CE?

 

Yes, a review of such said that even though our services have increased, our budget hasn't.

 

The handheld scanners are fairly new and I believe that Windows CE (Windows Mobile) is still a supported OS from Microsoft.  I think Datalogic just license the Windows CE but customise the UI.  I just found the tablets onboard Spirit were so much better.