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Motorola's handheld MC17 computer awarded thrice

By Rain Noe - April 13, 2009

in Object Culture

While Motorola's fortunes might be declining, at least one of their products is being honored for its design: Their MC17 mobile computer for shoppers, which has racked up no less than three industrial design awards (the International Design Excellence award, the iF Product Design award and the Good Design award).

The MC17 is intended to let shoppers "scan items, check prices, locate complementary items, access personalized promotions, and create gift and wish lists" and has been "well-received by our customers," says a Motorola exec. Our question is, where are those consumers, i.e. where can we see the device in action? We've not spotted any in New York nor on a recent trip to the UK; holler in the comments if you've seen the device in action.

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Hunt

15 years ago

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This product is really just a refresh of a product created several years ago. The refresh includes minor design changes thought he underlying CPU architecture and display have been changed. The earlier product has been pretty widely used in Europe for years. The refresh has only been on the street for a few months. Given that this is really not a new product and, from a design standpoint, only marginally different from the earlier version, it is a little strange to be receiving design awards.
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MP

15 years ago

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Who is your Professor?
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Donna L

15 years ago

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I use this MC17 every time I shop in Stop and Shop on LI. You scan the groceries, put them right into your econ friendly bag and when finished, you go through the check out without unpacking and repacking your groceries! One click at the register and your whole order appears. You pay and go on your way. What a time saver this is. I love it.
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Per

15 years ago

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These are common i Sweden. Every major grocery store have them. Very convenient to use, just scan every item and put it in your own bag, when you?re done just scan a special bar code and use the self service credit card reader. No need to stand in line, which is unusual in this country...
Random check ups is preformed about every 10th time you shop and if you've screwed up you'll be checked upon more often.
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Jabbett

15 years ago

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This device is the ideal complement to self-checkout. One of the big challenges (and slow-downs) of the self-checkout aisle is bagging your groceries. With the MC17, not only do you ring up your groceries as you shop, but you load them into your bags in your cart.

When you're done, you just pay and go. Something any parent of a two-year-old will appreciate. Figuring out how to keep the device away from your curious two-year-old is another problem ;)
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Territan

15 years ago

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Echoing Matt's sentiment, they're also found in some Giant Food stores in the suburbs of Baltimore. And I like 'em, myself.

This may be more of a complaint about the application than the device itself, but I'll also echo Alex's brickbat: it's programmed to make noise periodically and flash a new bargain on the screen that it thinks I'd be interested in. And usually it's wrong.

Mind you, where it shines is that after ringing up a dozen items on a quick trip through the store, all I have to do is scan a code at the register, then scan my bonus card. The scanner downloads my shopping list to the register and it feels like I get through checkout that much faster. Whether it's worth the time spent scanning things in the aisles is an exercise for the user.

And iynque, this isn't so much a consumer product as it is a business product which the businesses who use it put in the consumers' hands, at least until the shopping trip is done. The business benefit is greater independence in the shopping experience: "Please feel welcome to partake of our fast, friendly, convenient self-service."
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Russell Karasik

15 years ago

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I have seen these at supermarkets in Cape Cod. Very Cool.
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Matt

15 years ago

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They're in some Giant Food stores in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Haven't used them yet.
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Sam

15 years ago

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Never seen this in action, but one of my professors designed this and he has one in his office, and I can safely say that not only is the thing unusually cool to hold, but the construction and materials are really neat, too - especially in the thing's base.
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Pete Palmer

15 years ago

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We have them in the Stop and Shop stores in the Hudson Valley. Very simple to use,cool and fast. From what I can see they're catching on well with the public..
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J Cho

15 years ago

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There is an obvious example of the application in real shopping experience. A regional supermarket chain "Stop and Shop" in new england area has adopted the device posted here in their stores. I also am enjoying the high tech shopping every week using the exactly same gadget. Check out the URL or here:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2007/11/28/adding_up_your_groceries_as_you_walk_the_aisles
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Alex

15 years ago

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Yeah, they actually have them in my neighborhood Stop & Shop grocery store here in in Boston. Which is actually pretty surprising, it's a fairly rundown store that serves mostly college students who probably like to steal sexy looking gadgets that aren't on leashes.

I've used it a few times, it's pretty slick, but I can't help but feel like a doofus walking around a grocery store pointing this thing at everything I want to buy. Plus it scrolls through coupons when you're not actually scanning, and every time one pops up it makes a loud CHA-CHING!! noise, which doesn't help the undercover shopping attempts...
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Graham Marshall

15 years ago

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Stop & Shop in NY has installed them in a number of stores
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Matt

15 years ago

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I've seen them in a Giant supermarket in Germantown, MD, a suburb of Washington, DC.
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Eduard van Valkenburg

15 years ago

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In select Albert Heijn Stores in Holland they have these and they work perfectly, its for regular customers and you just scan every item and pay at the end with only random checks if you've scanned everything! Didn't know they were from Motorola though...
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DC Design

15 years ago

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We have them in Boston and other parts of Massachusetts! Great design but the holders could get a revamp
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MP

15 years ago

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In the US these are all over Long Island, eastern PA, and Boston. Stop & Shop, Toys R' Us and Giant Eagle have them.
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iynque

15 years ago

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Wherever it's being used, let's hope that phallus always finds it's way to it's yonic home to recharge at the end of the day...

No wonder everyone is giving this thing awards.

...but seriously...

Isn't this just a more user-friendly version of the Telxon units used all over in retail? I think Target uses Telxon (or similar) devices for their gift registration programs.

It's cool anyway. I would use one.

Oh, wait... If an iSight camera can be used to scan books into a library database, couldn't an iPhone app scan items in a store and subsume this device and it's functionality? ...not that I fully understand what it does.
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dan

15 years ago

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I've used these at a couple Stop & Shop grocery stores in Connecticut (they don't seem to be too widespread yet) ...
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Glenn Kaye

15 years ago

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You can actually use these at Stop & Shop in Norwalk, CT. They work pretty well, kind of slow OS. You basically pick one up when you walk in and scan your S&S card. Scan each item and bag it immediately and then just scan your S&S card on the way out, pay and walk out the door. Not bad, this was a concept that was discussed a lot in school. Glad to see it's been implemented.
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