{"id":9982,"date":"2014-06-27T07:32:21","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T13:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?p=9982"},"modified":"2019-09-11T08:16:08","modified_gmt":"2019-09-11T14:16:08","slug":"mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With a variety of terminology out there these days it can be confusing and difficult to find exactly what kind of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/scanning.htm\">scanning device<\/a> you need. \u00c2\u00a0One of the more common terms to get mixed up is the difference between cordless scanners and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/portable-data-terminals\/\">mobile computers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Outside the physical shape and size differences, there are a couple key functional use differences between them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A cordless barcode scanner only scans a barcode and either transmits to a computer in real-time or stores the code into memory for a bulk upload at a later time.<\/li>\n<li>Cordless barcode scanners only captures the data and cannot process or manage it.<\/li>\n<li>A mobile computer combines a computer and a barcode scanner into one device with an operating systems (OS) to run apps and process the data beyond just storing it.<\/li>\n<li>With a mobile computer you can\u00c2\u00a0edit and share information on the spot using Wi-Fi or Cellular networks. You can also get feedback \u00c2\u00a0or look-up information through a variety of apps based off of the scanned information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><!--more-->Making the right choice<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deciding which type of device you&#8217;ll need really comes down to how you&#8217;ll be managing the data you are scanning. For simple data capture of list making only, a cordless barcode scanner will be the most efficient route. If your application will require looking up data based off of the barcode scans or sending the data to\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/inventory-software\/\">inventory<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/asset-tracking-software\/\">asset tracking<\/a>, or other management software, then a proper mobile computer will suite you best.<\/p>\n<p>The table below is a quick guide to the basic features available in cordless scanners vs mobile computers to make your decision process a little easier.<\/p>\n<table style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #000000; color: #000000; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" cellpadding=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/barcode-scanners\/cordless.htm\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-9987\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cordless.png\" alt=\"cordless\" width=\"97\" height=\"62\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cordless.png 419w, https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cordless-300x195.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 97px) 100vw, 97px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/a>Cordless Scanners<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/cats\/portable-data-terminals\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-9990\" src=\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/mc.png\" alt=\"mc\" width=\"87\" height=\"68\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/mc.png 463w, https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/mc-300x231.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 87px) 100vw, 87px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nMobile Computers<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Scan Barcodes<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #339966;\">YES<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Only provides the ability to scan<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Only uses Bluetooth technology to wirelessly transmit data<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Must send data to a host computer<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Can use Wi-Fi or Cellular Networks<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Runs a Windows or Android operating system<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Can run 3rd party or custom applications<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Has a keypad and touchscreen options<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>No<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Available in a variety of sizes and designs<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong>YES<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a variety of terminology out there these days it can be confusing and difficult to find exactly what kind of scanning device you need. \u00c2\u00a0One of the more common terms to get mixed up is the difference between cordless scanners and mobile computers. Outside the physical shape and size differences, there are a couple [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[138,224],"tags":[10,275,271,99],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With a variety of terminology out there these days it can be confusing and difficult to find exactly what kind of scanning device you need. \u00c2\u00a0One of the more common terms to get mixed up is the difference between cordless scanners and mobile computers. Outside the physical shape and size differences, there are a couple [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Barcoding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-06-27T13:32:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-09-11T14:16:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cordless.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BarcodesInc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BarcodesInc\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/\",\"name\":\"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-06-27T13:32:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-09-11T14:16:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Product Review\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/category\/product-review\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Barcoding News\",\"description\":\"Barcode, Auto-ID, Point of Sale and RFID News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4\",\"name\":\"BarcodesInc\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News","og_description":"With a variety of terminology out there these days it can be confusing and difficult to find exactly what kind of scanning device you need. \u00c2\u00a0One of the more common terms to get mixed up is the difference between cordless scanners and mobile computers. Outside the physical shape and size differences, there are a couple [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/","og_site_name":"Barcoding News","article_published_time":"2014-06-27T13:32:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-09-11T14:16:08+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/cordless.png"}],"author":"BarcodesInc","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BarcodesInc","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/","url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/","name":"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners - Barcoding News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2014-06-27T13:32:21+00:00","dateModified":"2019-09-11T14:16:08+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/mobile-computers-vs-cordless-scanners\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Product Review","item":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/category\/product-review\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Comparing Mobile Computers and Cordless Barcode Scanners"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/","name":"Barcoding News","description":"Barcode, Auto-ID, Point of Sale and RFID News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4887305f61b70f8fa89a8ca7343ec6d4","name":"BarcodesInc","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9982"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21206,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9982\/revisions\/21206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcodesinc.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}