CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
admin | Oct 01, 2010 | 5 comments
CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
- No special software driver required
- Works with PS/2 keyboard connections
- Reads UPC, Priority Mail, etc., barcodes
- Specific formats include: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, 2-of-5 interleaved, CODABAR, CODE39, CODE128, and ISBN
- Barcodes enter computer as if typed on keyboard
Rating: 
(out of 12 reviews)
List Price: $ 11.80
Price: $ 8.99
Filed Under: Barcode Standards
Review by Kerry Lannert for CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
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The item Surpluscomputers is shipping is *not* a modified CueCat. It does not function as a standard barcode reader and still functions as a regular CueCat, encrypting all data. Be aware of this before purchasing.
*** Note: it is surprisingly easy to modify the CueCat at home. After performing the modification procedure the CueCat now works as a standard barcode scanner. A web search for USB CueCat modification yields many helpful websites.
Review by E. Thayer for CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
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My USB modified CueCat has worked flawlessly since I installed it by simply plugging it into a free USB port.
One plus, which I did not expect, is that the scanner automatically adds “enter” to whatever you have scanned, creating a new line in a file or prompting a search to begin if you are using it with Amazon.
A few tips will help you make better use of your scanner: If you are scanning a barcode that has a price code to the right of it, start in the middle and scan “backwards.” The cuecat still scans properly, and you won’t have to hand-delete the unwanted data.
The scanner does not work on every single pass, due to variations in hand speed. A very fast back-and-forth motion, repeated several times in a row, is more efficient than scanning once, checking to see if it entered, trying again, checking again, and trying again… it will not reenter the same number several times in a couple seconds, but you can do several passes, and increase your chance of actually reading the UPC. I do two to four passes, and that usually enters the information.
Also, if you are scanning UPCs to enter ISBNs on Amazon or similar look-up sites, you will only want to use your wand on UPC codes that begin with 9′s. A UPC that begins with a zero will not return a usable code.
Lastly, your cuecat goes into sleep mode if not being used constantly. To wake it up, simply hold the wand over any barcode before starting to scan with the wand. When the red light stops blinking and is steady, it is ready to go to work. This will save a couple useless hand-waves and feeling silly or frustrated when starting a batch of scanning.
appended January 2009: I originally used this wand under Windows XP. I switched operating systems in 2008 to Ubuntu Linux, Hardy Heron. The wand works flawlessly with either OS.
Review by James A. Wickham for CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
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My wife and I like movies, it’s actually a bit of an obsession. Once we passed the 2k mark for the number of DVDs we own and needed to keep track of we decided it was time to invest in some kind of software based tracking tool. We ended up going with DVD Profiler which does a great job of helping us keep track of all our movies and has many options for reports, lending, etc. The issue we had was with entering all our movies. Doing so by title was out of the question. I started looking into barcode scanners and initially was leaning toward scanners in the $80-$100, thinking that you get what you pay for. Since I really didn’t feel like paying that much for a limited use device and I saw the reviews of this one were pretty good I decided to take a chance.
It arrived, rather surprisingly, in a plain padded mailing envelope. Packaging could be improved but it was undamaged so I won’t complain too much. I took it out, plugged it into my USB port and used their test sheet to make sure it was scanning OK. It worked perfectly the first time. Vista recognized it and loaded the correct drivers immediately.
I’m now entering movie after movie into our database without killing myself at the keyboard. If you need a simple and cheap scanner – look no further. Not terribly ergonomically friendly, but it does the job and it’s dirt cheap.
Review by James Huff for CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
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Title says it all. For $10 or so, a great little barcode reader. Works flawlessly on all my Macs (iBook, MacBook, PowerBook, iMac). Occassionally has a problem with very small barcodes (those codes where there’s very little space between the bars), but otherwise great.
Review by Food Fan for CueCat PS/2 Standard Barcode Scanner
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I was looking for something to help me catalog books, this seemed to be the least expensive option by far. I was skeptical when I ordered it and wasn’t expecting much of it, but to my surprise it was able to pick up the bar codes easily. Yesterday night I scanned in 500 books using this thing, it would have been painful if I had to type in the ISBN’s manually. I used the CueCat with the [...] website and it works great.