Ripe for Innovation or Decimation

Our company is in the process of implementing a new business system.  We’re at the point where we’re thinking of implementing some barcoding applications.  Now I haven’t had much to do with barcoding before, but I began to investigate potential devices we’d use.

Here’s a candidate pictured at the left. It’s a wireless device with a small touch screen and a small keypad.  It runs a Windows operating system (either Windows CE or Windows Mobile). And of course, it has a barcode scanner built in.  It’s constructed to withstand the rigors of warehouse use.

And it comes with a HUGE price tag.  Can you believe that in the age of iPhones (which you can pickup for a few hundred bucks), that this device sells for $2200 or MORE?  Until now, several manufactureers (you know who you are) have been flying below the radar, charging outlandish prices for these products.

Well you’ve now been “outed”.  Better invest a little time in learning iOS, before some college kid decides he can make a decent living with a laser scanner adapter for the iphone (or by using the built in camera) and a $9.99 iPhone app.

When I can go to Best Buy and pickup a laptop for less than $500, or an iPhone for a few hundred bucks, you folks are definately living on borrowed time.

Innovate or be decimated.  You’ve been warned.

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