[olePigeon]

...so we can look forward to things like this and this.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

I wonder how long it will take for someone to figure out how to write a Virus onto their ATM card and mess up the machines.

[MacNStein]

the BSOD, coming to an ATM near you. *sigh*

[the_glassman]

Yet another sign that the end is near. Allah help us all!

[Link]

But Microsoft ATMs are COMPATIBLE WITH THE WORLD!

MICROSOFT IS THE STANDARD! YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED!

[itai195]

What do those have to do with Microsoft? Do you have a link to an article about their ATM efforts?

I'd agree that theoretically it is worrisome... Windows has its uses, but not in ATMs!

[hart]

I just read an article last week, perhaps at the BBC site?, that European ATMs are gradually being changed over to Windows-based machines as the old machines age. Windows-based ATMs are the wave of the future.

link found: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3962573.stm

[Powaqqatsi]

I don't see WHY they would run these things on windows. Everybody knows that windows is insecure and wouldn't windows be like overkill for an ATM ? Do they want that you can open up MSN Messenger on your local ATM ? They only need a basic specialized OS that runs on embedded hardware.

[BasketofPuppies]

Somehow I doubt that the embedded version of Windows for ATMs will support MSN Messenger, let alone include it.

And for those of you who think that Unix/Linux/BSD is more secure than Windows, calling them bugs instead of security holes doesn't make them any less insecure.

[tooki]

Originally posted by hart:
Windows-based ATMs are the wave of the future.

Uhhh, more like wave of the present -- all the newly-installed ATMs I've seen already run Windows.

This is nothing new. There were reports of ATM networks catching viruses and BSODing at least a year ago, and probably longer ago.

Frankly, I applaud MS for making an ATM version of its OS: ATM makers are going to use Windows whether it's appropriate or not. It's better to have an ATM-specific version of Windows running than an off-the-shelf copy!!!

Besides, I could see a possible massively-positive side effect from this: the banking industry demands rock-solid performance with no security problems, and will not tolerate malfunctioning ATMs. If the embedded version of Windows is brought up to proper bank standards, then we also have a fighting chance of having electronic voting machines that aren't full of security holes like the current ones.

Of course, I'd rather see them running UNIX (even Linux would be fine), or OS/2 (which is what a lot of older GUI-based ATMs run).

tooki

[olePigeon]

Apparently 70% of the ATMs in Britain are Windows or Windows Embedded based.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10...m_viral_peril/

[rozwado1]

Does this mean that we (MS protesters) are only going to have access to 5% of ATMs now?

[d4nth3m4n]

Originally posted by rozwado1:
Does this mean that we (MS protesters) are only going to have access to 5% of ATMs now?

what, NOW that you know about it?

[Link]

If Microsoft made an ATM:
1. it'd be the kind that sucks in your card and then keeps it during the whole transaction, but then gives you the card and waits forever to give you the receipt, acts like it won't, but then does when you're about to walk away.
2. The Microsoft ATM would ask you 3 questions before you could pin in your keycode, and then once you did the default button would be to view your balance.
3. The MS ATM would first start telling you about how exciting and great it is, then finally after 20 minutes would ask you if you want to sign up for Microsoft Wallet.
4. The microsoft ATM would randomly crash while processing transactions and then spit out your card like it doesn't know you, no status whether it canceled or not.
5. If the microsoft ATM was out of money, you wouldn't know this until it went to "processing your request".
6. It would cost $50 to use ATM XP, but when the ATM Longhorns started to roll out, you wouldn't be able to use those unless you paid another $50.
7. ATM Longhorn's revolutionary feature would be having a sidebar that tells you every detail that you already entered: Language, whether you want a receipt, what account, and how much. It would also have an easy to press "Back" button that would cancel everything.
8. Because of virusses and spyware, you'd periodically get 2 additional cards from your bank -- a virus scanner card and a spyware scanner card, both of which you'd need to run before you could get money from your ATM.
9. ATM XP Home (The one that most people get with their bank accounts), would allow withdrawls from savings accounts, but not from checking accounts, it also wouldn't print receipts or let you make transfers.
10. The envelope bay would have a leaky door that always let the envelopes get wet.
11. When you swipe your bank card, it would take 60 seconds for the ATM to start up and load your account.

If Apple made an ATM:
1. It'd be the kind that you swiped your card at
2. If your transaction failed, a dialog would pop up asking if you wanted to report it to the bank and it would have an error code, but wouldn't tell you exactly why.
3. In order for the bank-manager to open the ATM, he would need to swipe his card, push reset, and then hold down ERASE, ENTER, 4, 9 to enter the debug menu. If he didn't time this just right he'd have to repeat the whole process again.
4. The default way to fix the ATM would be to reset it and hold down ERASE, ENTER, 1, 2 and let it reboot 3 times.
5. The ATM would cost $2 to use for non-bank customers, twice as much as Microsoft ATMs would cost..

damn I'm out of ideas.

[Luca Rescigno]

How about a Linux ATM?

You're given a big sheet of plastic by your bank, which you write your name on and cut out. You are really careful cutting out your card from the sheet, but each person's card is a slightly different shape.

When you get to the ATM, it simply gives you a command prompt, which you use to run the "atm" program. When prompted, you enter the amount of money you want and whether you'd like a receipt or not (1 for yes, 0 for no).

Then it beeps a couple times and you physically open up the ATM to extract the correct amount of money. If you don't know how, you can try asking someone who's done it before, but it's not likely they'll be able to help you since it has become second nature to them.

Once you open the ATM, there's no real money inside, just pieces of cut-out paper with numbers scrawled on them. In some cases, you just get sheets of paper, a scissors, and a pen, and you have to make your own play money. A number of Linux ATM users will come by at various times and drop off play money, sometimes pre-made but usually just the materials necessary to make it yourself. As before, if you don't know how to make this play money, you can ask someone, but they won't be able to help.

People who use Linux ATMs swear by them and insist that Microsoft ATMs are the tool of the devil and that Apple ATMs are too simple for them, but you'll often see Linux ATM users sneaking over to the Microsoft ATMs when they actually need to get some real money for something.

[Xeo]

Originally posted by Link:
damn I'm out of ideas.

thank god











Na i'm just teasin. Some of those were clever.

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
How about a Linux ATM?

[Amorya]

Originally posted by Link:
1. It'd be the kind that you swiped your card at

Huh? How do they stop card fraud then?

All the ATMs here suck your card in. That time if you get your PIN wrong three times at the same machine, they keep the card.

Amorya

[voodoo]

I have a photo of a crashed ATM machine in Paris (that's in France you know) where the monitor is covered with a DOS dump.

DOS.

In Iceland Windows is used like all the time on ATMs.

[Amorya]

Originally posted by voodoo:
I have a photo of a crashed ATM machine in Paris (that's in France you know) where the monitor is covered with a DOS dump.

DOS.

In Iceland Windows is used like all the time on ATMs.

I've seen a standard Windows 3.1 error dialog on one before. And seen a BSOD on another! It makes you feel really secure about taking your money from one

Amorya

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
How about a Linux ATM?

I don't see how that would work. How is Microsoft going to make money?