Barcode Scanner

Hi,

I am new to electronics, but I was wondering:

1. What is the cheapest, small barcode scanner available?
2. How easy is it to make a barcode scanner?
3. Has anybody had any experience with working with barcode scanners?

Many thanks,

Nick.

 

Radioshack gave them away a few years ago, think it was called cat
"something", anyway it was used mostly as spyware when you loaded its
software but im sure you can find one cheap at a garage sale " less then a
buck"

 

It was the CueCat.

I've never heard of it being used for anything other than their nefarious
plot, though.

It was capable of reading barcodes though, so I suppose with a custom
driver...

 

Both B.G. Micro and Allelectronics.com have these listed.
fp