I found it interesting when the article, From Print to Phone to Web. And a Sale, talked about a product named CueCat that had been introduced to the market in 2000. The company, Digital:Convergence, established this product with the anticipation that people would use it to print pages using bar codes. This would allow people to access web pages and products they were interested in through the scan of a bar code. The idea made the process of web browsing look effortless. CueCat was used by companies such as Forbes and Wired, however many of their employees considered the newly designed product to be too "clunky." In order for the bar code scanner to be utilized, the customer would have to be mailed a hand-held scanner, along with a CD-Rom. After receiving both those items, the user would then have to install the CD-Rom program, and attach the device to their computer. The scanner was designed in a particular manner, where the user would "wave" the hand-held over the bar code. However, companies exercising CueCat found that it was not "portable or easy," and actually in some cases they believed it was more trouble than just doing a search through a Web address.
It was interesting to read about the introduction to the CueCat and what limitations it brought about. It is simple to see how much technology has improved since 2000. Within ten years we have grown from a product such as the CueCat, to having a software programed into your cell phone allowing you to scan bar codes on the spot. Although these programs do not exist yet for all cell phones, it is amazing to see how much potential our economy has for technology advancement.
What do you think the future is for bar code scanners? Do you think they will become advanced enough for people to use in their everyday routines, or do you think they will fade out again like they did in 2000?
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