Thursday, December 5, 2002, 1:37:02 PM, you wrote:

SA> Yet, the Percon scanner appears to be the only
SA> instrument Innovative offers to customers to work with.  (My communications
SA> with Innovative are usually indirect; our Systems librarian deals more
SA> directly with Innovative.  So, I would love to learn that I'm wrong--that
SA> there is an alternative scanner product compatible with Innovative.)

I don't have an innovative system.  However, I've worked with a number
of systems over the years.  Whether you're uploading via a serial port
or some other means, all the scanner is doing is sending a series of
digital copies of barcodes (typically, just a series of fourteen digit
numbers).  Those go right into the system just as if you'd typed them
in on the keyboard, scanned the barcodes at the computer, or whatever.

Unless there is something VERY different about how Innovative does
things (certainly possible, and I'd like to learn about it if that is
the case), it makes no difference in the brand of scanner you use.
Most vendors recommend a particular brand, because they have a deal
with that scanner company.  They get them at a wholesale price and
sell them to you at a much higher price, giving the vendor a nice bit
of profit.  Note that I'm not opposed to a vendor making a profit; I'm
just trying to indicate that it is highly unlikely that you have to
use their brand of scanner.  We have several different brands in use,
and have eliminated all of the pen scanners and gone totally to gun
scanners.  Even though the guns cost a bit more, almost everybody will
find that they're well worth the extra cost.  This is particularly
true when you're comparing a different brand of gun with the vendor's
price for a wand/pen scanner.

More info available off list if anyone feels the need.

Note that I have no business relationships with any scanner, library
supply, or integrated library system companies.  As always, there are
a number of useful and good quality products out there.  The choice is
yours.

dan
--
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan@RiverOfData.com 208-283-7711
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
www.riverofdata.com  www.gailndan.com  Stop Global Whining!