Am I the only one who is asking "why iPhone"? They need just simple bar code readers. Any cheap Android would do the same job.
Is there an Android barcode scanner attachment like this? I know they have camera based ones - but when you actually use them to scan several hundred barcodes, you realize why camera scanners aren't great. I also know of bluetooth and USB based ones that work with Android but those require two hands.
When we looked into inventory scanners for our international plants that don't use EDI (our U.S. plants have an EDI system that includes scanning) we looked across a broad range of devices. This included photo scanners ($200 Android tablets), two piece scanners (Android tablet + USB scanner/bluetooth scanner), WindowsCE scanners, iPod Touch one piece scanners (same wrap used at Apple store). What we found was:
-Two piece scanners aren't easy to use in a working environment - two hands occupied all the time
-Photo scanners were balked at by operators who wanted to "scan, scan, scan, not scan, wait, wait, scan, wait, wait, scan"
-Photo scanners needed high light and good angles
-Laser scanners didn't require high light or good angles
-Laser scanners were near instant for results
-WindowsCE scanners were overpriced
This left us with the iPod Touch scanners. $170 for an iPod Touch (refurb) and $500 for the laser scanner wrap. Great scanner capability, wireless, CHEAP, fits in your pocket, durable and with
enterprise software, very customizable.
My point is, you don't know what they looked at and why they chose what they did. What works for my company might not work for another just as what works for Amtrak might not work for another. Unless you're on the team that went through their options, you really can't say whether or not something else would have worked for them. We don't know everything they put into the system.