Because it’s a novelty, and animated advertisments make a bigger impression than static ones. Not everyone would be interested, but who cares, if 1 out of 100 is? Restaurants, especially chains, pay big money for specialized decor. There’s a whole industry behind those old license plates and wagon wheels. Hacking isn’t an issue – when there is no input required from the “user”, the firewall can be on the most secure setting and only allow traffic through from one specific source.
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All I’m pointing out is these are probably the same questions you’re going to be asked by shop owners. Your first barrier is going to be able to convince people this would be “hip”…(which will imho be a hard sell to begin with). After that, you’re going to have to convince those remaining people it’s worth they time/hassle of installation/service, and finally, you’re going to have to convince your investors that you still have enough advertisers to pay for maintenance costs and come out ahead…
Yes, license plates are cheap and after they are made, you’re done with them….
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I think you’re making it out to be far more difficult than it would be. The protective glass is built in. The units are self-contained and dirt cheap. If no special wiring is required, installation would require all of a couple hours (outside business hours) for the 2-3 urinals in a typical restaurant. If graffiti/vandalism is an issue, then you don’t put them in places that are prone to that.
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And the idea you have to explain this to a business owner, again….most would be scratching their head going why???
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Again, you’re making more of this than there is. I have never personally seen an LCD monitor fail. I’m sure it happens, but they are one of the most reliable pieces of equipment in a modern office. There is no need for the restaurant owner to “constantly check” the screens. He’ll probably be using the restroom a few times a day himself anyway. A laptop will last 7+ years, and that’s with a hard drive. The restroom screen wouldn’t need moving parts.
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That’s because most uses of the LCD screen are currently in environments that are more or less deemed “delicate”. People know not to throw their smartphones, tablets, laptops on the ground, know that they shouldn’t poke, bang against their lcd screens…. They aren’t decided to withstand harsher environments… Now you’re taking something like this and putting this into an environment that is completely different.
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Yes, wi-fi, which a restaurant in this century will already have. If it’s down, they need to call their ISP.
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Not in the U.S.
Most small establishments don’t have wifi access unless it’s an internet cafe (which I might also mention, has failed miserably in the U.S….too geeky)….Our culture is not geeky enough….
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Or perhaps my default position just isn’t pessimism and sarcasm. Of course an unproven idea will have issues. Hence testing and a business/financial plan. We’re just spouting ideas here. I personally think it’s a good idea, but it would require too much initial investment to find out, and I just don’t care enough anyway.
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Well, my default position isn’t necessarily about pessimism or sarcasm on all ideas. But it’s just looking at what sort of thing this would cost and what added benefit and competition for alternative means, and dependencies on other things,
[quote]…you’re right – when asking a bunch of middle-aged real estate fanatics. Ask a few thousand teenage girls who are physically attached to their smartphones, and you may get different answers. You don’t need many Yes’s, either. What’s great about Internet businesses is the size of your market. The niche for my online store is vanishingly small, and only one out of tens of millions of people needs my product every day, but I still profit enough that it’s worth the trouble.[/quote]
Um, speaking from experience from other idea ventures…
a) The teenie-boppers don’t “comparison shop” most of the time. They just buy the latest fads since most of them have mommy/daddy credit cards.
b) The majority use of teenie-boppers use their smartphones for text messaging, facebook, chat, phone, and hooking up, arranging parties etc, phone sharing, video sharing,etc.
c) You’re ideal target for a comparo site is a cost-aware, smart shopper (which is hard to find in itself), who’s not afraid to spend money on a monthly cell-phone plan with data service, and who’s not technology phobic. Those last two things eliminate A LOT of people….
