Its maximum reach extends out about 20”, which is just a touch above average for equipment in this price range. The SocketScan S700 is capable of reading all 1D bar codes, both linear and stacked. Though you don’t need to start looking for waterproof certifications, being sealed against dust is helpful for longevity as well. Even if you’re not taking measurements in the jungle, you want an instrument that can survive a little rough and tumble use. But people drop things all the time, some more than others. Might take you ten days, or it might take you ten years. When you’re holding an instrument in your hands, it’s just a matter of time until you drop it. They were also made with a little more attention to spent the outward appearance of the instrument. True to their nature, presentation scanners were made to sit on counters.
Mobile PC scanners are good for communicating with wireless networks, for an all-in-one style inventory management scanner. Handheld scanner are the ones we all know, the point-and-click scanners that require you to pull a trigger. Ignoring fixed-mount and in-counter scanners, the three main types are mobile PC scanners, presentation scanners, and handheld scanners. If you’ve been to a supermarket, then you’ve probably seen a basic gun-style scanner. The scanner is smart enough to align it on its own, which means less aiming before taking a reading. You don’t need to worry about the orientation of the barcode while taking a reading. That includes stacked, 2D, and 1D barcodes. The third type are 2D area imagers, which are able to read all types of barcodes. At the same time, they have comparable range and cost to a basic laser scanner. Linear scanners tend to perform better that laser scanners for reading damaged codes, or codes that have been printed poorly. The second type is a linear image scanner, which takes a picture instead of reading with lasers. But for greater range, you often need reflective labeling. Though they can only read 1D barcodes, they’re also among the cheapest options out there. This type uses a simple red diode to measure the blank spaces between barcode bars.
Among those three, laser is the single most common. The three most common types of scan engines are laser, linear, and 2D area imagers.