Hi, this is Travis with POSGuys.com. Today we're going to talk about mobile computers,
and which scanner should you select for your mobile computer. This is the MC3100 series,
it's been updated to the MC3200 series, but the scanner options are still very similar.
You have a 2D option, you have a rotating head laser option, and you have a pistol grip
with a laser barcode scanner. So those are the basic three flavors of the scanners for
the MC3200 mobile computer. We're going to go into why you'd want to pick each one.
The 1D laser scanner is the most affordable of the options. It also tends to be the most
accurate, since the line is pretty tight and precise. When scanning 1D barcodes, you just
simply line it up and you scan. They have to be perpendicular with the lines, so you
have to be pretty accurate. This model features a pistol grip version, so it's a little more
ergonomic. The big drawback of the 1D laser scanner is that it does have to be lined up.
So for instance if you're using a vertical barcode and you're horizontal, then you have
to turn to scan. Additionally, laser is optimal to use indoors in low light. In bright light,
while it can scan, it struggles a little more than an imager.
An alternative to the front facing laser is the rotating head laser. So, right now as
you can see, the laser is pointed straight down. But this head can rotate, so you can
scan sideways, but you can also hold the scanner in like a pistol grip fashion and get the
laser to come out. Really what it's great for is to keep looking at the screen while
you're scanning, because as you can see, you can push the button and keep looking. Versus
your standard laser scanner, that if you're trying to scan a barcode on the ground, when
you point the scanner down, then you can't see what you're scanning. So if you want to
look at the screen while scanning, if you're doing a lot of price look ups and things like
that, then the rotating head laser is a pretty nice feature, it has the same limitations
as a regular laser scanner, where it works better indoors than outdoors.
Your most advanced option is the 2D imager. As you can see, it's a field of light with
cross-hairs. This scanner scans the quickest, the most aggresively, and it scans at any
angle. So you have your vertical barcode and you can scan it, it doesn't matter how the
scanner is turned, you can scan it. It's also angled at a 45 degree angle, so you can keep
looking at the screen while scanning, you don't have to be just dead straight on, but
the field is so wide that if you were straight on, you still can get scans. It's also optimized
to be used in bright light conditions, so using it outdoors or in a well-lit warehouse,
you can scan barcodes without any problem. It works actually better in bright light.
The other thing that the 2D imager can do is scan 2D barcodes. So if you're scanning
QR codes, if you're scanning shipping codes like are on UPS packages or FedEx packages,
then this can scan those, where a 1D laser is unable to scan that. So it's more future-proof,
its a wider variety of barcodes can be used. Its also a little bit tougher, a laser is
a moving part, a 2D imager is not a moving part, so it's a little more durable as well.
Overall easier scanning, if you can afford a 2D imager this definitely the way to go,
the lasers are still good, they work well especially indoors, but the 2D imager is the
superior product.