Blaine's Barcode Blog

Opticon PX-20 Mobile Scanner
By: Blaine - 10/2/2014

Today I was able to spend some time with a new mobile scanner from Opticon. The new model is the PX-20, and pairs with any iOS or Android device. It will also work well with iOS, Windows, or Android based tablets as well. The pairing process is incredibly simple, requiring only one button press on the scanner to get it into pairing mode. I was impressed with the scanner's ability to gather any 1D and 2D barcode, aside from a larger format PDF417. It was even scanning USPS postal codes right out of the box. The scan engine uses a red light to illuminate the scanning area, and a green light for ...

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Motorola CS4070
By: Blaine - 8/19/2014

The new CS4070 from Motorola is easily my favorite bluetooth 2D scanner for solutions needing to scan to a mobile device. I had some hands on time with this scanner recently and I was very impressed by what it could do. The scan range is fantastic, able to scan from 2 inches to 24 inches with a UPC code. For 2D barcodes I was able to scan a QR code from about 16 inches away. Bluetooth pairing with my phone was easy, and the unit feels great in the hand. It is durable, with a 5 foot drop spec. With Motorola's quality level you know its going to last you. If you're looking for a solution for mob...

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I Need Barcodes!
By: Blaine - 8/18/2014

The need for barcode software can vary from customer to customer, and sometimes I get people calling in who are just looking for a few simple barcodes for various uses. A QR code with contact info, simple barcodes for products in their store, etc. That's where our barcode generator comes in! Check out the link below where you can generate various barcodes easily from our website! https://posguys.com/barcode/ I've seen this work well for people who want to try out barcodes, or even for generating a sheet of codes to print out for someone to scan at the register. Give it a shot! If your needs ar...

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The Motorola DS4800
By: Blaine - 7/30/2014

The Motorola DS4800 barcode scanner is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for the most modern solution for their retail establishment. The scanner is incredibly easy to use with its touch sense scan trigger, and high performance 2D imager. When you scan something successfully the scanner gives very good sounding audio feedback, which is customizable. Rather than playing a beep tone, the DS4800 plays WAV files when it powers on and scans. It also has an orange dot for aiming and can even do more advanced scanning such as scanning from a cell phone screen, document capture, and driver's licen...

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Barcodes and You
By: Blaine - 6/27/2014

Today I want to talk about a common misconception with barcodes. Fairly often I get customers calling in who expect that scanning a barcode into their system will automatically populate all relevant data about the product to your system. That's not quote the case, and there's nothing wrong with assuming that. On the surface that's how it looks, someone scans a barcode into the POS system and the computer knows exactly what it is and how much it costs, so its an understandable mistake. So how do they really work? A barcode is just an ID number. In the case of all the products you find in depart...

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Adapters - My new computer doesn't have the right port, HELP!
By: Blaine - 6/13/2014

I get a lot of calls about customers needing to change to a different interface type. USB to Serial. Serial to Parallel. Keyboard Wedge (aka PS/2) to USB. And the list goes on. Most of the time customers are trying to convert legacy, still working great hardware peripherals to new computers. This makes sense to do, why replace that barcode scanner you spend $300 on 5 years ago when it is still working fine? Many people go out and simply try to purchase an adapter cable and then are frustrated when it does not work. This is where I come in. In short, don't. Trying to convert from one type of ca...

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Tablet Based Point of Sale
By: Blaine - 6/6/2014

We get a lot of questions about what you need for a tablet based point of sale system. Here’s a rundown of the essentials and options for tablet POS systems. Why choose a tablet POS system over a traditional PC POS system? Tablet systems are more compact, making them suited for limited space, such as small boutiques or food trucks. They can be totally wireless, making them mobile. They are also a bit more affordable than PC systems, depending on the type of tablet and accessories you choose. Tablet systems, however, are less powerful than PC systems, so they are suited best for light retail o...

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Magnetic card readers and mobile devices. What you need to know.
By: Blaine - 5/30/2014

I get a lot of customers calling in about credit card readers. Because of services like Square people assume that it just the card reader you need, and that is not quite the case. Step number one is actually about identifying the service you are going to use, and usually at the same time, the merchant service you are going to use. For example: Square is a merchant service provider, that has developed an app for iphone, ipad, and ipod that has basic point of sale functions and provides merchants with a way to accept payments for goods or sevices. The reader unit that you plug into your phone is...

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Electronic Cash Registers vs. Point of Sale Systems
By: Blaine - 5/16/2014

I have a lot of customers call in who are confused about the differences between these two things. They both accomplish point of sale operations, but at drastically different price levels, and capabilities. To save my fingers some extra typing, I'll refer to them as ECR and POS for the rest of this post. ECRs are the natural evolution of the original mechanical cash registers that you see in old western films. They can work well for small businesses or people just starting out. But they really only accomplish a few things. Most are only capable of running pre-set sales that you need to set up ...

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Motorola DS4800 Review
By: Blaine - 4/4/2014

The DS4800 from Motorola is a fantastic scanner for retail. The scanning performance is top notch. And it looks fantastic. A modern sleek design adds great aesthetics to any retail operation. The scanner itself supports not only 1D and 2D barcodes, but also scans off of cell phone screens, and can read drivers license information. It has a special orange dot aimer to make it very easy to scan with. The range is phenomenal at up to 22 inches away for standard UPC-A barcodes. the ergonomic design feels great in the hand, and the hands free stand gives you plenty of room to work with the scanner....

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