Customer Reviews

Ccd Contact Barcode Scanner USB Light Rugged Design Black

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

ASIN:B000GGTTC8, Adesso Contact CCD Barcode Scanner, Model NUSCAN 1000U. This is the USB model.

First, I should point out that this product is listed (on Amazon) as a CD-ROM but it is not a CD-ROM nor does it contain a CD-ROM.

The package comes with a scanner and a booklet. The scanner has a USB cable and no other cable options. The booklet contains some barcodes that let you adjust the scanner settings such as scan mode (trigger, auto, toggle) and audio feedback (tone, duration). The booklet is also available as PDF from the Adesso website. The booklet is not needed for normal operation.

Installation on WinXP involved plugging the scanner into the USB port, done. Once plugged in, it chimed the la cucaracha tune.

Usage was just as easy, point and shoot. The scanner button is rubbery yet has a nice click feel so it is very easy to use. The orientation (non-pistol style) was better than expected and is very easy to hold and scan items over and over. I was (wrongly) expecting to be able to hold the scanner inches away from the barcode but this type of scanner requires you to practically touch the product with the scanner for a successful scan. With a successful scan, the barcode numbers are entered into your computer just as-if you had typed them.

This scanner is very easy to install and operate - it couldn't be any simpler, really. The scanner sends the data to your computer as though you'd typed the barcode in on the keyboard; thus it should work with any software that supports barcodes.

Configuring the unit for scanning modes and beeper volume/duration (it's a little LOUD out of the box) is just as simple. There are a few barcodes printed in the manual that you scan per your preferences.

To test it, just point your browser to http://www.upcdatabase.com/itemform.asp, rest the scanner on a UPC code, and click the trigger. Even if the product isn't in the database, you'll get confirmation of a good read just by looking at the number read out by the scanner. (If it's not in the database, do those good people at upcdatabase a favor and enter the product details). You could also use Amazon's search feature with the device, in the same fashion: scan the product's bar code rather than typing in its title.

I scanned in a dozen CDs sitting here at my desk about as quickly as a checkout clerk - so I stuck a pencil behind my ear, snapped my chewing gum a few times, asked myself if I found everything I was looking for and hollered "WET CLEANUP ON AISLE THREE!"

I am very happy with my scanner...it scans anything! Including ISBN's which is helpful in my bookselling business and it also integrates with Booktrakker for data entry which prevents typos. I love it. Best thing I have ever bought for my business.

I purchased two of these scanners for a small library project. Overall, I like the product, but refrain from giving it five stars, because, as others have said, the scanner must make flat contact with the surface on which the barcode is printed to effectively read the code. Also, I was happy that this scanner was truly "plug and play" on my Intel Macs, even without any software. Of course, Mac users are used to this for almost all peripherals, but the fact that this scanner simply did what it was supposed to without its own proprietary software really raised its profile in my eyes.

If you are looking for a good option to get the job done, this scanner is an excellent choice.

This scans a bunch of types of barcodes. I tested almost all of them out.

It will scan:
*EAN-13 (ISBNs)
*EAN-8
*GS1-128 (EAN-128)
*UPC-A (Regular UPC's)
*Code 128
*Code 39 (3 of 9)
*Interleaved 2 of 5

It will not scan:
*UPC-E (I think this is the tiny barcode on books that encodes only the price, not the ISBN)
*Codabar (used by libraries)
*POSTNET (the lines the post office stamps on the bottom of your mail)
*2-D barcodes

It's a contact scanner, which means that the scanner should be in contact with the barcode. But, it sometimes works up to an inch above a well-printed barcode. Also, it's a wired, USB scanner, which means you'll need to bring your laptop close to whatever it is you're scanning.

It automatically scans the text of the barcode plus an Enter character, but you can get rid of the enter character through the scanable options in the book.

Pros:
+I was able to plug mine in and start scanning without installing any software (I use a PC)
+It automatically scans many different types of barcodes, without you having to adjust anything
+Pretty long cord, about 4 feet
+Very easy to use
+Lightweight, yet steady
+Beeps satisfactorily after every successful scan, and doesn't beep when it doesn't scan
+Scanned even my bar codes I printed from my injet printer that got smeared

Cons:
-Very simple, the only options you can change is the length and the pitch of the beep (through codes in the book)

As mentioned in other reviews there is no CD-ROM with this product but, instead, you can program various parameters by scanning bar codes in the manual. On my Intel iMac all of the defaults worked perfectly for me. Installation was simply plugging in the usb cable. The Mac then puts up a dialog box that it cannot recognize the keyboard you just plugged in, cancel that dialog as this is not a keyboard. Then I started Text Edit and scanned a few ISBNs (I am a book dealer) and verified that it read them perfectly. Then I started my book database (BookHound 6.0) and started a new record which in that software brings up a dialog box to enter an ISBN. Scanned a book, saw the code entered right away, and the new record came up fine. This is a wonderful tool. Don't you just love it when things work right the first time out of the box? I went a little wild then and used the programming barcodes to change the beep to a longer duration and that worked too. One of my best add-on experiences.

This product didn't work with my system, and I was unable to get in touch with customer service to find answers to my questions.

When I plugged it into my Mac OS X it thought it was a keyboard. Then when I tried scanning library barcodes in iiiRunner each code had an A proceeding it and a B at the end. I tried calling, emailing, and looking on the company's website for help, but didn't get replies and couldn't find anything relating to the scanner. So I returned it.

This scanner works as advertised and very consistently. I'm an Amazon Marketplace seller and needed a scanner for bulk listings. Only a few books of mine didn't scan, such as when the paper that an ISBN number is slightly torn. Otherwise, the scanner quickly feeds the number into whatever field you've placed your cursor. You need to hold it close to the item/bar code since it's not a laser scanner. The scanner appears sturdy and ready for countless hours of use. Best of all, it's way cheaper than many similar scanners.

This inexpensive contact scanner does everything I need it to do, including reading ISBN barcodes. For my purposes, a scanner that reads from greater distances would be a hindrance. I haven't had it long, but so far it performs great: good value for the money.

As others have noted, this is an excellent contact barcode scanner for the price. It has a light, but substantial feel, and seems to be of sturdy construction.

When connected, the scanner "pretends" to be a keyboard to the PC, so anything scanned appears "typed" in. Which means that you can also use this in applications that aren't necessarily designed/intended for use with a scanner.

The manual that comes with the scanner has a basic set of programming barcodes. However, if needed, the full set of programming barcodes is available via a PDF document download from the mfr's website.

I've been using this (along with DVDpedia on my Mac) to inventory my DVD collection, and will probably move on to my book collection afterwards.

If you're looking for a basic (yet still powerful) low-volume use scanner, I'd definitely recommend this one.