Is a hand scanner worth buying?

R

rtroxel

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
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Location
Taos, New Mexico
I've noticed in the past 2 years that the hand scanner graphics are appearing on magazines, food cans, checkout lines, etc..

Is it worth purchasing a hand scanner, as this trend continues? I realize that some smartphones have the ability to scan the graphics, but I don't feel like buying one of those.

Thanks, as always,

Roy
 
rtroxel said:
I've noticed in the past 2 years that the hand scanner graphics are appearing on magazines, food cans, checkout lines, etc..

Is it worth purchasing a hand scanner, as this trend continues? I realize that some smartphones have the ability to scan the graphics, but I don't feel like buying one of those.

Thanks, as always,

Roy
Click to expand...

Can you better describe what you are talking about? I really am not sure what you are referring to.
 
From reading the title, I first thought you were talking about a portable police scanner :).

As for the other type, I think depends on your type of use.

I picked up a portable scanner awhile back from ebay. Wasn't hand held but run on batteries and scans to an SD card. No need for computer. Was a good deal so I figured why not? Ends up I only used once or twice. Most of my scanning is done at home and I prefer to use of a computer. I can't even recall if I gave the portable scanner away or if it's stored in a box somewhere.
 
OP , if you are talking about the scan code on a product to get more information. Then I think you need a smart phone with data, so it can connect to the Internet.
Many scan codes are really just URL's.
Meaning websites.
 
Sunset said:
OP , if you are talking about the scan code on a product to get more information. Then I think you need a smart phone with data, so it can connect to the Internet.
Many scan codes are really just URL's.
Meaning websites.
Click to expand...

And my pet-peeve is when a QR code is displayed, such as on a menu, but the underlying URL is not. :mad:

-gauss
 
You mean to read QR codes? They work with a phone, because it's usually a URL or something - scan the code and you go to the website. Or in some restaurants, to go to the site of their menu, that sort of thing.

I'm not sure a hand scanner would accomplish that at all.
 
It’s part of the camera on most smart phones. For sure on Apple. My wife had to add an app for her Android.
It a reader, not a scanner and I don’t see how it could work without a browser like on a phone.
 
Last edited:
rtroxel said:
This is the hand scanner that is being sold on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Scanners-Computers-UNIDEEPLY-Handheld/dp/B0BZTWZKVF/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?keywords=scanners+for+computers&qid=1692059823&s=electronics&sprefix=scanner%2Celectronics%2C173&sr=1-17-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Click to expand...

So, what will you be connecting it to? I’m assuming your home computer/laptop? I guess with no smartphone, that will work and for $25 you’re not into it for much. Only limitation is that it’s not portable and a number of things to scan are in stores.
 
Oops. Just read the description. It will not read QR codes. That’s the most common type of codes these days. Not sure a bar code reader would be of much value.
 
rtroxel said:
This is the hand scanner that is being sold on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Scanners-Computers-UNIDEEPLY-Handheld/dp/B0BZTWZKVF/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?keywords=scanners+for+computers&qid=1692059823&s=electronics&sprefix=scanner%2Celectronics%2C173&sr=1-17-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Click to expand...

A scanner like this will only be useful in conjunction with a business software running on a computer that the scanner is connected to. Think of the self-serve cash registers at Home Depot or Walmart. The software would typically be a “cash register” software used by a business. A regular consumer would find this device to be useless.

OP, what were you expecting to happen if you scanned it with this device?
 
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QR codes are connected to a website or landing page. They are a marketing device. Scanners like the Amazon one are simply a reader to turn the symbolic code into an alphanumeric set of characters. Those then tend to be used for inventory tracking, point of sale and such. Two completely different things.

I have seen home uses of the Amazon scanner used to track wine bottles in a wine cellar and such.
 
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I really don't see any personal use for a 1D bar code reader. Unless you have a piece of software already that requires a barcode reader, and a computer to run it, then I can't see it.
 
For $30 you can buy a low-end smart phone at Walmart. Don't pay for the service plan. Load a scanner app (or the camera app might already have it built in.) Connect to the store or restaurant WiFi and you have a handheld scanner which will bring up results for both bar codes and QR codes.
 
CaptTom said:
For $30 you can buy a low-end smart phone at Walmart. Don't pay for the service plan. Load a scanner app (or the camera app might already have it built in.) Connect to the store or restaurant WiFi and you have a handheld scanner which will bring up results for both bar codes and QR codes.
Click to expand...

That’s a good idea. Maybe even find a family/friend that upgraded and still have their old phone to give you. We’ve handed phone down to the kids and they work off of wifi just fine - similar to a tablet that doesn’t have cell service. They mostly used it for music but the camera would work fine.
 
rtroxel said:
I've noticed in the past 2 years that the hand scanner graphics are appearing on magazines, food cans, checkout lines, etc..

Is it worth purchasing a hand scanner, as this trend continues?
Click to expand...

rtroxel said:
This is the hand scanner that is being sold on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Scanners-Computers-UNIDEEPLY-Handheld/dp/B0BZTWZKVF/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?keywords=scanners+for+computers&qid=1692059823&s=electronics&sprefix=scanner%2Celectronics%2C173&sr=1-17-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Click to expand...

That scanner scans bar codes, not QR codes. It would probably be a waste of time and money. Get a cheap smart phone. You'll eventually be glad you did.
 
Hi, everyone,

Thanks for the quick replies. To answer one question: I posted this because I wasn't sure what the scanner's use is. I had no special plans for it. I like to keep up with the current IT, and I was thinking that maybe I was missing out on something.

My conclusion is that I don't need this device.

Thanks again,

Roy in New Mexico
 
rtroxel said:
This is the hand scanner that is being sold on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Sca...17-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Click to expand...

If you are looking to build inventory of items, that is what this is used for. You can either scan the barcodes on items, or create your own barcodes, stick them on the item, and scan it. Many of the scanners will scan info directly into Excel, or store data in .csv format for upload into Excel, without any other software.

For example, with DW having 3000+ books, and sometimes finding out that she has more than one copy of a book, in theory we could use this to scan the book barcodes and create an inventory spreadsheet or database. In practice it is not on my retirement to-do list :D.

As others have pointed out (and as the product description states), this is not for QR codes. QR codes are not for inventory, they are to link to additional information on the web about something.
 
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