Sept/Oct 2003

A handheld laser scanner costing under £100 has been launched by Microvision. It's called the Flic. The company says the price puts it in the same price bracket as lower-specification "wands" or CCD scanners, and reckons it's ideal for parcel tracking, mobile computing and record- and asset-tracking, as well as in retailing, manufacturing and the medical world.

Flic Laser Scanner is said to be able to read linear bar code types such as UPC, 39 and 128 that are common used in distribution, logistics and retail, and can be linked to computers via either USB or RS232 connections. It reads from a distance of 6 to 18 cm, and is said to be able cope with codes as small as 10 mm wide.

The scanner is powered by three ordinary AAA batteries, and users are said to get up to 20,000 scans from a set of alkaline batteries. It can work in two modes ­ tethered or batch (unplugged). In batch mode it can store up to 500 scans of data in its internal memory prior to downloading.

There is a set of free downloadable software (the unit has its own dedicated Web site, (www.flicscanner.com), and the makers say it is also interoperable with other Windows- and DOS-based applications and proprietary systems.

 

Their line is that when combined with a PDA, the system offers a complete scanning solution for "under £300".