Alacrity 1D Wireless Barcode Scanner - USB 2.0 & 2.4GHz Wireless Handheld Barcode Reader for Retail, Warehouse, Supermarket - Compatible with Computer, Laptop, POS System for Inventory Management & Checkout

It doesn't want to work on Bluetooth for us but it does work plugged in and works great.The instruction book that comes with this amazing scanner is like a little "how to" guide for every kind of barcode known to man, worldwide, from UPC to the ubiquitous Code 39,2D Code standard. It literally teaches you how to program ANY format bar, if you know a little, simple coding. THIS SCANNER REQUIRES SOFTWARE-- from excel to quickbooks to home inventory, or even a free hosted solution (where you can enter your barcodes on a website) such as upcdatabase dot com.You have your choice of: 1. accepting the factory defaults (which are fine), 2. programming the unit with basic string instructions (basically F1/F2/F3 keys once you enter your command interface or character editor-- you have to know a little basic sdk/ dos/ ide stuff for this-- IOW, the command prompt or text editor, not just a window drag and drop GUI) or 3. Scanning in barcode representations (including creating your own!) that control the settings of the scanner. Very advanced, but a very cool feature if you're into a little coding. THIS DOES NOT support web or smartphone QR codes-- there are plenty of free ios and android apps on Amazon for those!Default output is a number string, so you CAN use it right out of the box with the majority of websites and inventory systems, or even excel. With either bartender or other software, or POS, or free online, you also can create your own "unofficial" inventory upc's to keep your own inventory system.Before we moved house, we barcoded every box and packing case using a database we made in Filemaker Pro. Out stuff had to go into storage for six months, and the night before we moved into the new place, we went through the database, decided which rooms things went into, and assigned everything. When people arrived carrying the boxes, we just scanned them on our phones and sent them to the right place. Simples.A couple of months before that, we went through our entire book collection scanning everything with a cheap scanner.We learned two things from these experiences. First, something that scans easily, accurately and quickly in bright daylight is worth its weight in gold. Second, barcoding isn't just for businesses. It has all kinds of day-to-day applications.Comparing this scanner to what we used is like night and day. It connects by USB or by its own wifi connection (sadly not compatible with other wifi). It is incredibly bright and will scan almost anywhere. It is far, far faster than the iPhone or the bargain scanning we did. And it doesn't even need to be near the computer—you can put it into inventory mode (by scanning provided barcodes) and it will upload the data all in one go when you're ready.I think we paid about half the price of this for the cheap barcoder. We would have been far, far better to get this one. Well, now we know.I purchased this scanner specifically to inventory my Dell laptops. I knew I would have to make adjustments to the device out of the box and I was prepared for this. I scanned the codes for 1D, 2D, etc... but I could not scan the service tag on my Dell laptops. I contacted the seller and they asked for pictures of the codes. I sent them as requested. The seller responded that they were not QR codes but instead were "inverse Data Matrix code". They also sent an attachment for that code. It now works exactly as I needed.Totally pleased with this scanner. It is as advertised - PLUG and PLAY. Nothing else to do, just use it. I have 3,000 books to catalog and some only have ISBN bar codes which I couldn't get this one to read (though I think it does do them if you can understand the instructions - I could not!) Be aware if you are looking for something that will scan ISBN #'s, you will have to be specific for that. If you are, then you will get one that you just plug and play for ISBN's too. But be aware, it only scans ISBN #'s IF they are in bar code language.It works without problems, and it's efficient. It's exactly what you want from a device like this.It charges via USB, which is included, and it claims up to 10 hours battery life - from brand new I would charge it fully, as the first charge often determines the future battery life. The build quality is good, it's plastic with a rubbery grip, but nothing at all to complain about. Lightweight and easy to hold and manoeuvre.I would say don't throw the instruction manual out, as it includes some sample barcodes as well as some necessary ones for setup.It's plug and play, and most of the setup comes from whatever program you're filing with - I tested this with our in-house library book release system at work, and it worked fine with the pre-existing barcodes.I took a gamble on this item and it paid off. We started using barcodes at work and the USB scanners they provided were corded and they got in the way. I decided to give his a try and I’m so glad I did. It works great, it is easy to program using the provided booklet, and it lasts a long time without having to be plugged in. I liked it so well I bought another 2 for various locations at work. Highly recommend.It works well enough, but you get what you pay for and its construction isn’t the same as more expensive options.