Rattail for Windows CE
Rattail CE is an application written for the Windows CE platform, specifically targeting Motorola scanner-equipped mobile computers. Even more specifically, it targets the MC3000 and MC9090 models, as that's what I have access to so far. Other models or platforms may be supported in the future; in particular I would like to clone the app for PalmOS and thereby spread to the Scan Genius hardware pool. (Edit: This isn't done quite yet, but it's close. See Rattail Palm.)
The only thing the app actually does (so far at least) is allow the user to create batches of scan data, for later processing on a desktop computer. The initial motivation behind the app was that we had some MC3000 handhelds which worked with a POS system that we have recently replaced. These devices have software on them which was specific to the old system but which was of course useless otherwise. So the immediate benefit is that we can collect "raw" scan data with these devices once more. What we do with it now is up to us...
However, even though we have shiny new (wireless even, MC9090) handhelds for our new POS, as it turns out the web interface those are meant to use for counting inventory is painfully slow compared to the Rattail CE app. Many technology choices will be made from simple preference of course, so YMMV, but for now at least Rattail CE does have speed as its highest priority. I hope that will be a sufficient advantage to be "worth fooling with" even for those who do already have a solution in place.
It certainly would be possible to load a "map" file to the handheld which contained UPC => Description translations, etc., so that the user would have better visual feedback. (Let's face it, barcodes get pretty mind-numbing after a while.) However no definite plans exist to add this functionality. (And speaking to the previous point, I'm not sure yet how much the app's speed etc. would take a hit from that.)
Anyway, I will grant you that much of the processing of this data on the PC side will need to be done by "custom code" since after all, you don't already have software just waiting to process Rattail scan batches when you sync up. However the data is very simple in nature and could be leveraged for everything from inventory to setting shelf location, printing labels, ordering and receiving, etc. Or it could simply be opened as a CSV file if that's all you needed it for; point being that it will depend on you to define how you could use this tool.
Here is the app running on the MC3000:
And here it is on the MC9090:
I don't fully know my plans for this app yet, beyond getting it installed to all our handhelds so that we can use it for the upcoming inventory madness. I'll probably release it "properly" as soon as I figure out how that's done for mobile apps. In the meantime I can say that I'm able to simply copy the executable to a new device and it immediately works, so if you happen to be interested in the concept and want to try it out, for now just email me.
Update: This page really needs to be migrated to the newer wiki etc., but for those still reading this and interested in binaries, here are some.