Internet Explorer Kiosk Mode Archives

Windows Kiosk Mode vs. Kiosk Software

A common question I hear from new clients is “why would I want to use kiosk software when I can just use kiosk mode in Windows 8 (aka Assigned Access)?”

This is a fair question, so I’m going to explain the limitations of Windows Kiosk Mode and when there is a need for kiosk software.

The short answer is that kiosk software makes up for the short comings in Windows Kiosk Mode and adds an additional layer of security and ease of use to get you up and running quickly without all the headaches.

Our kiosk software is designed to be so simple that no nerd degree is required.

Continue reading “Windows Kiosk Mode vs. Kiosk Software”

How Can I Run Chrome or Safari from My Kiosk?

Lately we’ve been getting a lot of requests to run Google Chrome from KioskSimple. In response to popular demand we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be adding support for WebKit in early 2015. In case you’re not familiar with WebKit, it’s the HTML rendering engine used in Apple Safari and a fork of the project is used in Google Chrome. The bottom line is, if you love the look and feel of Chrome or Safari, then you’ll love WebKit. Continue reading “How Can I Run Chrome or Safari from My Kiosk?”

Kiosk Software for Windows 8

KioskSimple makes it a breeze to convert any PC or tablet running Windows 8 into a self-service kiosk. The fastest way to get your kiosk up and running is to create a website with all of your kiosk content and let KioskSimple “lockdown” the website on your kiosk. Checkout the video below to see just how easy it is to put your website on a self-service kiosk running Windows 8.

How much does it cost?

There is a one-time license fee of $199/kiosk with volume pricing available.

Can I try a free demo?

Absolutely, checkout the fully-featured free demo here Continue reading “Kiosk Software for Windows 8”

Hiding the Web Browser Scrollbars in Your Kiosk Application

If you’re running your website on a self-service kiosk you may notice some unattractive scrollbars which you’ll probably want to hide. These scrollbars appear because the HTML content is tall or wide enough where it can’t all fit on a single screen, so the web browser displays a scrollbar so that the user knows there is more content available, they just have to scroll to see it. While this behavior is usually desirable on a web browser running on a desktop PC it looks unattractive in a touchscreen kiosk. You may notice that with many mobile devices the scrollbars do not appear until the user touches the screen. Continue reading “Hiding the Web Browser Scrollbars in Your Kiosk Application”

Start Internet Explorer in Kiosk Mode with KioskSimple

KioskSimple makes it a breeze to start Internet Explorer in “kiosk mode” and convert your PC into a self-service kiosk in just a few easy steps. This is a great option if your kiosk content is HTML based and you want to display it via the Internet Explorer web browser. Continue reading “Start Internet Explorer in Kiosk Mode with KioskSimple”

How to Start Your Web Browser in Kiosk Mode with KioskSimple

By starting your web browser in “kiosk mode” it effectively converts the web browser into a self-service kiosk application. The goal of running your web browser in kiosk mode is to “cripple” the web browser so that all of the typical web browser navigation functions are stripped away, giving you complete control over the users experience.

The problem is this still leaves the Windows operating system vulnerable to user tampering since it’s trivial to exit most web browsers by pressing Alt-F4 (and several other methods) and thereby dropping to the Windows desktop. This is why we created KioskSimple, to not only run your web browser in kiosk mode, but actually secure the Windows operating system. In many cases you’ll also want to control the web content users will be permitted to access and limit it to that of your organization which is also made possible by KioskSimple. Continue reading “How to Start Your Web Browser in Kiosk Mode with KioskSimple”

How to Disable Internet Explorer Pinch-Zoom on Your Touchscreen Kiosk

If your Windows touchscreen kiosk is using the Internet Explorer WebBrowser Control you might want to consider disabling the user’s ability to “pinch-zoom” since it can cause readability issues. Pinch-zoom can be a useful feature, especially when interacting with the web browser, but it can also cause confusion in a touchscreen kiosk environment since not all users are familiar with the pinch-zoom functionality. Imagine the scenario where one user zooms in on the webpage and walks away, then the next user has no idea how to zoom back out to 100%. Fortunately it’s easy to disable pinch-zoom in the Internet Explorer WebBrowser Control from the Windows registry and I’ll outline the steps below. Continue reading “How to Disable Internet Explorer Pinch-Zoom on Your Touchscreen Kiosk”