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Archive for the ‘Handheld Laser Scanner’ Category

The first thing you will need if you have decided you need handheld barcode scanners for your business is your budget.  These handheld devices can vary enormously in price and you don’t want to buy scanners that either perform functions you don’t need, or those which fail to satisfy your business’s needs now and in the future.

You will also have to decide if you need a laser scanner or a charged-coupled device commonly referred to as a CCD scanner.  The latter is the latest technology and is more able to read today’s barcodes.

Barcode readers have been around since the late 1940s, when they were designed to read a special ink that included ultraviolet dye.  Technology has improved greatly since those days and the advent of wireless or handheld barcode scanners has improved efficiency, both at the checkout counter and in the stock room.  They are increasingly being used in libraries and hospitals, and the same technology is used at toll booths, where a car can simply drive through and the owner debited or billed monthly for using the road. 

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For use in a stockroom or warehouse, where goods are stacked high, a wireless barcode scanner can be used for stocktaking and inventory purposes.  The device must be durable and not break if dropped onto the floor, so look for durability when purchasing barcode scanners for this purpose. 

If there are many thousands of items to count, which happens when supermarket floor inventory is performed, the barcode scanner should also be lightweight and comfortable to handle, so the operator does not get a sore hand or arm after a short time.

Can the scanner be upgraded in the future to keep up with changing technologies?  Far too many electronic devices cannot be upgraded, rendering them completely useless if better technology is introduced, so it’s a good idea to check – it may save your company thousands of dollars.

Check how easy a barcode scanner is to use and program.  Purchasing the wrong kind of scanner may involve training staff to use them and complicated programming, which will lead to decreased productivity and extra expenditure.

There are hundreds of different kinds of handheld barcode scanners to choose from ranging in price from to over 0 each, so it is important to make the right choice.  You may also need to check if they come with stands if necessary, or a means of attaching them to a belt for warehouse workers.

Before we venture to look at the features one should be on the lookout for when shopping for laser scanners for asset scanning use, there are a number of definitions and descriptions we need to go through briefly. The first one of those is that of laser scanners, where it turns out that, in this context, laser scanners are used for reading barcodes, which are widely used in asset tracking. Now if you have visited a supermarket or other such store, you are likely to have encountered a laser scanner (although you may not have known it to be the same). The laser scanner, in this case, would be that ‘thing’ which the checkout attendant points onto the barcode on each product you have selected, in order for the computer to decipher the price which you are then charged.

As it turns out, such laser scanners are not just used in supermarket checkouts. They also find widespread application in asset tracking, which refers to the practices an organization undertakes to keep track of its belongings, and prevent their loss.

Having cleared with such fundamentals, the task before us is one of exploring the features to look for, when shopping for laser scanners.
As it turns out, there are a number of features that are to be expected, actually demanded, in modern laser scanners. One can, for instance, expect such scanners to come with USB connectivity. This is important, as it would effectively make them ‘plug and play’ devices, rather than devices that one has to go through lengthy installation processes to get working.     In this regard, the ideal laser scanner will come with both a USB kit and a USB cable. In a bid to keep pricing down, some makers of laser scanners include only the USB kit, but leave it upon you purchase the cable afterwards.

When shopping for laser scanners, it is important to check what sorts of ports they come with – and ensure that they can work with the computer you have in mind. Of course, this issue of ports becomes important where it is a non-USB laser scanner you are looking at. Where it is a USB laser scanner you are looking at (whose connectivity is thus universal), the issue of port provision becomes immaterial. Nowadays, most people are making use of USB laser scanners, but if the computer you use is an olden one with no provisions for USB connectivity, you have no alternative than to purchase the laser scanners with the traditional sort of ports.

Some laser scanner makers are taking the whole USB connectivity a step further, and creating their products to be suitable for Bluetooth USB. Now that is cutting edge technology, if you can afford it.

Depending on the circumstances you are going to be using it, you may prefer a handheld laser scanner. Be informed that there are handheld laser scanners in existence.Whether or not the laser scanner comes with a charging cradle is another material consideration, as is one as to whether the laser scanner’s power supply requirements are compatible with what you use.All these are, of course, in addition to checking the laser scanner’s independent reviews with regard to pricing, durability and so on – to ensure that it is a sound product you will be getting on all levels.

Review and introduction by FLAAR Reports on 3d portable handheld laser scanner zscanner 700cx from Zcorportation.
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