[markw10]

I have a online based e-commerce business and in looking for ways to make it more efficient I want to purchase a barcode scanner to use to scan in new inventory as well as scan inventory when it's shipped. As well, I'd like if there's a way to integrate it's use into Quickbooks but either way am looking for a good inventory management program. Is there a good Mac Solution for this? I prefer this but if not I would be willing to use a Windows solution under Parallels.

[SledgeHammer]

Well I was going to point you to the bluetooth barcode scanner that Delicious Monster sells, but it looks like you can only buy it along with Delicious Library (which is a great program, but isn't what you're looking for). It seems like one should be able to make the scanner interface with other programs, but I haven't the slightest idea how.

[danielsza]

Well, when we had a store, we ran a dos based pos app. The reason we used it was it was free (as in beer), not the code. It was easy to use and was very stable. At first we ran it on dos and then later on ubuntu with freedos. But you could run free dos using QEMU (all free) or using Parallels. I would run it under dos rather then windows, if i were you.

Any USB barcode reader should work, as long as it outputs plain text. Some of the serial/ps2 ones used encryption that needed a converter. You could, even get a USB CueCat and use that, well once you hack it, to output plain text.

there were also some linux apps that I tried, Quasar Point-of-Sale and it has some accounting software you can buy. There's also BananaPOS.
And you might be able to get BananaPOS to compile on Mac OS X.

I know that you didn't ask about POS software, but it does have some of the things you were looking for.

Other then that... maybe using mysql and PHP? Or some other mysql frontend. It would be more work, unless someone has some software available (I haven't looked). There might also be some other native Mac apps, but I never used any of them.

[Robo]

A quick Google search turned up "Mac POS X" (clever), which also sells barcode scanners.

[Majost]

Apple should sell the POS implementation they use in their stores.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Majost Apple should sell the POS implementation they use in their stores.

I thought I read somewhere that their little mobile checkout gadgets are actually powered by Windows Mobile?

[Yontsey]

http://www.briandunning.com/bar-code/

for FileMaker

[danielsza]

Originally Posted by Yontsey http://www.briandunning.com/bar-code/ for FileMaker

Looking at Barcode Basics, it seems that it only generates barcodes. But there should be some other template, or you could make your own, that would work will FileMaker Pro.