I work for an animal shelter.  I'm the manager of the gift shop.  We
sell pet food, litter pans, leashes, collars, chew toys, etc. -- and
also some "gifty" items for humans.  Annual sales are just over
$150,000.

We currently use an old, primitive cash register.  I'd like to upgrade
to a point-of-sale system with a barcode scanner.  The system should
be easy to use, since the volunteers who work in the store are mostly
little old ladies who are not computer literate.  The system should
also keep track of inventory and should be able to generate reports
that show sales by category.  I don't really need accounting software
per se, since store sales get entered into the general accounting
system used by the shelter.

Cost is an issue, as well, but I'd rather buy something decent that
will work well than something cheap and unreliable.

I'd like recommendations for a few possible systems that meet these criteria.

Thank you.

---

Clarification of Question by archskeptic-ga on 28 Dec 2005 19:56 PST

Oh, yeah -- and the system should process credit-card sales, too.

Try Volutive1 ( http://www.binarema.com ) this program can turn a pc into a pos.
It has many features. Great for small business plus its FREE FREE FREE!
I got my barcode scanner off ebay, I had everything else at home to build my pos 
system. I did not add a customer display or a real cash drawer, maybe later.
From website:

Minimum requirements
Your computer minimum requirements to install and execute Volutive are
the following:

    * Windows 95 or higher
    * Pentium processor or compatible
    * 16 MB RAM (64 MB recommended)
    * Any kind of printer (even a mapped one). 

If you are going to use Volutive like a POS, you can also use these devices:

    * Any receipt printer connected to LPT or COM port
    * Any cash drawer connected directly to port or indirectly through
the receipt printer
    * Any barcode scanner connected to the keyboard
    * Any customer display connected to a port. Supported display
formats are 2x20 and 2x40 characters.

Other requirements:

    * If you want to email documents or reports, a valid connection to
the internet is required.