Everybody must have came across the barcodes that are present in each and every product that you tend to buy. A barcode reader/scanner is a machine that uses a laser technique, to capture the barcode image present in any product and send it to the connected device, to decode it. These days Rugged PDA and Tablet Scanners are in fashion. So, here we will learn about all that one needs to know while using it.
Basic things to know about Barcode Scanners
It is very important to know few basic things about the barcode scanner you are using because, without the knowledge of these things, it can become really tough handling it.
1D or 2D
There are 2 types of barcodes, 1D and 2D . Now it is really important to check, which type of barcode you are having because, there are still Rugged PDA and Tablet Barcode Scanners that scan only 1D barcodes, and the same goes for the 2D as well.
Special Barcode
There are various special barcode scanning devices that allow scanning barcodes even from a distance of feet or even yards. There are also special high-density scanners that can read tiny barcodes.
Barcode scanner manufacturer
It is also important to know about the manufacturing company, based on our experience , Honeywell and Motorola are two reliable manufacturer
Barcode Scanner Hardware
Check from which brand the device is and find out the basic features of the model. Also check whether the scanner is Laser type or LED type, as Laser models are pretty backdated. There are even devices available that are not branded, yet packed with features.
Built-in rugged tablet scanner VS other types of scanner
Bluetooth Barcode Scanner
Bluetooth Barcode Scanners are those that are connected to the PDA or tablets through Bluetooth, and the scanned images are sent to the connected device either directly, or in a bunch. It might sound weird to have a Bluetooth barcode scanner when the PDA has an inbuilt scanner, but if the benefits are considered, it is totally a clever idea. Below mentioned are few benefits of having a Bluetooth Barcode Scanner over a typically normal Rugged PDA and Tablet Barcode Scanner.
Having a Bluetooth scanner means having a different set of battery, thus the PDA battery is not exhausted.
There are high chances of the Bluetooth scanner having better technology than the PDA.
The Bluetooth scanners are generally cheaper, so if you need to change the scanner into an updated version, i.e. 2D you can easily do it without causing a hole in your pocket.
Other than these, there are few negative aspects as well, like If you are not very tech savvy, it may take a while to learn the basic functions of the Bluetooth scanner and thus end up causing a lot of fuss.
Just as having 2 different sets of batteries help, the same way, charging 2 different sets causes a lot of trouble.
At times, if there are technical problems, then the Bluetooth Barcode Scanner, might not connect to the Bluetooth settings. And at that moment the scanner becomes absolutely useless.
Therefore it is tough telling which is better it actually depends on the person using the scanner, which they are comfortable with.
Camera Based Barcode Scanner
Camera Based Barcode Scanners are nothing in comparison to any other Barcode Scanners because they are really very poor in quality. Camera based scanners are non-reliable and the images that are obtained are of very poor quality. They are not made for scanning and especially 1D scanning. Rugged PDA and Tablet Barcode Scanner is far better than Camera Based Barcode Scanners for the below-mentioned reasons
The camera scanners are really slow, and clicking more than one picture leads it to function as well as respond at a very low speed.
It is the worst device for 1D scanning, as there are chances that the camera barcode scanner can misread the data.
There are no specific hardware buttons available in the Camera Based Barcode Scanner.
It is not like that Camera Based Barcode Scanner is an absolute no-no it is just that, it is not worth going through so much pain. Still, there are few brands, that gives a decent support and can be used well. Basically, Android Camera Based Barcode Scanner is good when used for scanning one or two barcodes.
Wi-Fi Barcode Scanner
Wi-Fi Barcode Scanners can be considered the best, why? Well, the answer to this question is very simple, it gives you total freedom. You don’t need to worry about installing software and sharing things, just connect it to the Wi-Fi and it is good to go. It is like giving the freedom of walking around a huge range and scanning whatever and wherever you want. Sounds crazy, but it is true. It is a lot like the Bluetooth scanner only that, the Bluetooth is helpful in making it wireless, whereas Wi-Fi makes it absolutely free. Here are few reasons to choose it over any other.
It provides a huge range, the barcode can be scanned anywhere, just it needs to be within the Wi-Fi working network.
If the area is not very device friendly, there is nothing to worry for, no device is needed to be kept close because the Wi-Fi network covers it all, just the presence of the scanner and the network is needed, nothing else.
As this is the most modern technology, it is packed with features, and even consists of keypads to type in the data. Not only that it can be used as same as a rugged PDA is used and can even support various search engines. Overall is very technology friendly.
Having absolute knowledge of Rugged PDA and Tablet Barcode Scanners is not mandatory, but knowing the basics is always necessary. This article not only gives a brief idea of the types of scanners and the little tits-bits about the scanners but at the same time, gives an idea about the three basic types of PDA barcode scanners, thus providing you the choice, of which one you want to use for your purpose. if you want to know more about barcode scanner , don’t hesitate drop us a mail to info@ruggedt.com .