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(More customer reviews)To avoid retraining, we wanted to replace our old xea201 with another Sharp xea.
In that respect, the 506 has worked out well. It works essentially the same as the older model.
We also wanted a permanent journal (receipt) roll, which this provides.
The UPC scanner was a nice bonus; we didn't anticipate it would be as valuable as it has become.
We conduct physical inventories by using the register to "sell" every item in the store. This works OK provided the sales data is cleared before inventory (to ensure prior sales don't erroneously reflect in your inventory) and after inventory (to ensure inventory doesn't erroneously show up as real sales).
Since the 506 tracks sales by PLU/UPC, once you have a physical inventory, it's easy to use excel to subtract cumulative sales of every PLU/UPC item to maintain an accurate running inventory.
Prior to the scanner, sales were rung up by price but without an item ID, which meant that a running inventory was formerly impossible but now is effortless.
Sharp provides an adequate capability to extract summary data from the cash register onto a PC.
One undocumented "feature:" at least under Vista Ultimate 64-bit, Sharp's PC integration tool MUST be RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR or it seems to be working but cannot read the SD cards. Also, although Sharp tech support indicated the USB interface is incompatible with 64 bit systems, the SD cards work fine on my system and produce comma-separated-variable files.
Can't provide any info on the direct quickbooks interface, as it's not been needed.
The system has adequate built-in controls. It tracks clerk ID, serializes each close-out, summarizes voids, provides a running total of all cumulative sales and all returns, and summarizes discounts.
It would be nice if the register provided an output port which echoed each transaction. A typical control is to feed register transaction information into the surveillance system to annotate the video; this doesn't appear possible with the 506.
I can't figure out how to do a couple of things that would save a lot of time:
- Can't extract a transaction journal in electronic format.
- Can't enter prices & PLU names except through the register keyboard.
- Can't verify authenticity of a return receipt without unrolling 30-40 feet of journal receipt roll and comparing by eye.
- Can't provide the video surveillance system with the transaction data.
- Can't modify prices and product names on a PC and then load it back into the register.
In summary, the XEA506 has met our objectives and provided a reasonable value. We wish it could do even more, but it seems that the desired functionality is only available in POS systems costing quite a bit more; we're not ready to make that leap (yet).
Update 9-19-2010: Just picked up our second XEA-506 for new shop. Just to clarify, there is still no 64-bit USB driver for Windows, & 64 bit windows demands 64-bit device drivers, so you need a 32-bit Windows system if you intend to use the USB interface. However, the SD card extracts are compatible with 64-bit Vista (we're reading it using Sharp's so-called customer support tool) & we've been using it for nearly a year with no issues.
Also, we were interested in upgrading the scanner to an any-angle scanner, but Sharp help indicated that the system is not compatible with off-the-shelf scanners.
The sharpusa web site provides complete info and download of the manual and the customer support software (also called the pc-link software), at [...]
Conclusion remains the same: pretty good capability, and although we do wish for more functionality, we are not willing to pay $1,000 or more to get it.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp Electronics XEA506 Cash Register with Handheld Scanner (Black)
The XE-A506 cash register by Sharp is the ideal solution for businesses requiring advanced functionality along with a separate thermal receipt journal. This cash management system includes a barcode scanner for fast and accurate registration. It also features an alpha-numeric display for the operator, numeric display for the customer, 7,000 price look-ups (PLUs) and an extra-large cash drawer. For ease-of-use, the XE-A506 includes a PC link cable and PC software for simple programming of all PLUs, departments and clerks. The XE-A506 also offers a graphic logo generator to let users customize logos and graphics to receipts.
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