Bluetooth Device in 2 Weeks

[MacRumors]

O'Reilly's Mac OS X Conference (http://www.macdevcenter.com/mac/osx2002/) kicked off with a Keynote with Tim O'Reilly and David Pogue. MacCentral provided (http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0210/01.conference.php) some coverage... with the following quote from Pogue:

"I can't say what, but in the next two weeks, one of the major makers of something important in your life will start making something that has Bluetooth standard," said Pogue.

[scem0]

That sounds like very good news for those who are waiting to get a powerbook. I can't wait to test out one of these at CompUSA. Hopefully there won't be a wait on them, like on the 1.25s

[bennyek]

I am so glad we are finally seeing somehting bluetooth after having it announced for mac several months ago. I hope it is a Ipod or Ibook/tibook

[blankcell]

Hopefully it will be a Bluetooth-equipped PowerBook.

[marmotte]

A Powerbook!

[arn]

A few thoughts

1) I doubt Pogue would either know about a new Apple release or be foolish enough to announce it to the world.

2) This is a Developers conference... so major maker of something important in your life could be a different company altogether... um Metrowerks, or some developer-oriented company. But I guess it would have to be a hardware company.

arn

[macdop]

probably just going to be laptops, but I want an iPhone BAD!!!!!

[vniow]

What about that Apple/Phillips thing a few months ago? Is it too soon for that?

[sluthy]

Why does everyone expect new Powerbooks from this statement? It's just as likely to be a new Bluetooth printer or monitor. Remember their raving about Phillips and Lexmark and them working Rendezvous into their products?

[arn]

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2002/09/20020919221649.shtml

Likely the rumored/reported Palms

arn

[Kid Red]

Originally posted by sluthy
Why does everyone expect new Powerbooks from this statement? It's just as likely to be a new Bluetooth printer or monitor. Remember their raving about Phillips and Lexmark and them working Rendezvous into their products?

Mostly because powerbooks are due for an update any week now.

[e-coli]

probably Palms

[sandsl]

"I can't say what, but in the next two weeks, one of the major makers of something important in your life will start making something that has Bluetooth standard," said Pogue.

It could be a Powerbook , but are Powerbooks important in all developers lives? Maybe. (Already have Powerbook 800 wouldn't upgrade just for built-in bluetooth)

It could be a wireless bluetooth mouse because most developers use mice?
Maybe. (Something I would buy)

It could be a phone or project with sony ericsson/phillips ?
Maybe, not likely. Too soon after relationship was announced.

It might not even be from Apple....

Powerbooks are due for an update, but some would say the the mouse is also due for an update - it has remained the same (apart from new white color version) for a long time.

I doubt he is taking about a palm. I don't have a palm, I only know a few people that do, and if I did, I wouldn't call it an important object in my life.


Whatever it is I hope its at MacExpo London so I can have a look in November.

[Ensoniq]

"I can't say what, but in the next two weeks, one of the major makers of something important in your life will start making something that has Bluetooth standard."
This was stated at an OS X Developer conference...for APPLE developers. All of the posts I've seen here and at other locations claiming that this could be referring to any other company aside from Apple seem to be illogical. To assume Pogue would make some vague announcement to Apple developers that some non-Apple Bluetooth product is coming seems to be quite a leap.

Agreed, the device itself could be anything...there is no way to determine from what Pogue said if this is a PowerBook/iBook/iPod/iPhone, etc. That part does remain unknown, and we'll all find out in two weeks. But clearly, something is coming from Apple. Debate WHICH product all you like...but who the company is has already been made perfectly clear. (Unless you assume Pogue is simply lying.)

[macdop]

it would seem to me that it is very likely that it is Apple, but for legal reasons he cannot specifically mention them, as he says says that they make something important in their lives, and I can not think of any other company that would make something that is important in the lives of all the developers there other than Apple, just about any other product including Bluetooth would not be worth mentioning, I mean, maybe I would care about Palm, but that's not that big of a deal, printers, who cares? cell phones, nothing particularly special, now we move on to Apple, and then it has some significance, not to mention that the PowerBooks would probably benefit the most from it (using a Bluetooth phone as a modem, etc.) and they are very ripe for an upgrade (a SIGNIFICANT one even) so that's what my money is on, though I would LOVE to seen an iPhone, I think it's a little soon for that, Palm including it wouldn't be that big of a deal, though it would be nice, but I wouldn't personally care, since I plan I getting a Kyocera 7135 when they come out, assuming the iPhone is not out by then & that the iPhone is better (which if the rumors are accurate, it looks like that iPhone might not be that cool) and now I am just rambling endlessly so I will stop now.

[giovanni]

dudes ! Palms are dead, DEAD.
A number of people tell me Apple is coming up with a cell phone - but I have no idea whether this particular rumor could be related to that. And these people are much greater Apple maniac then I am so, hard to believe. Yet they are "mature", no kids. So, I vote for the phone. We shall find out soon

[Qunchuy]

Originally posted by sandsl

I doubt he is taking about a palm. I don't have a palm, I only know a few people that do, and if I did, I wouldn't call it an important object in my life.



Hee. If you did use a Palm, you might very well call it an important object. A PDA, used regularly, quickly becomes very important.

I'd be a lot more likely to buy a new Bluetooth-equipped Palm (and a USB Bluetooth module for my iBook) than a new PowerBook.

[badtzmat]

isync release with that sonyericcson that is way overpriced. rumors of danger alignment as well. pogue is not going to say anything unless it is something big.

powerbook ibook too easy.

mouse ehh not very interesting what with cheap pen/wireless (no battery) mouse tools out there to be had already.

iphone!!!!!!!

[Stike]

Ok, to sum up all possibilities and rumors here, it can be said that it is likely a electronic device from Apple and it should be smaller and portable and it will have Bluetooth integrated.

So, iPod? Updated. Wouldnt charge over bluetooth. Firewire better.

iBook/Powerbook? Needs a speedbump. But the integrated Bluetooth wouldnt be such a feature to proudly announce on a developers conference. Why is Bluetooth so important to the product?

--> It must be essential to the product. Maybe an iPhone or something... or something we couldnt dream of (is there something like this?).

Were no rumors floating around about a tablet style device? PDA? :D Watch the eye :D
But it could fit. Hm, lets be surprised!

[ljova.com]

well if you want my take -- it'll probably be new <i>PALMS</i>, which sucks, because I don't NEED one.

My wish for Palms is not bluetooth, it's better integration with the celllular phone. I have a StarTac and a Palm Vx; they are the best of both worlds - small, low radiation, light and don't take up much room. It'd be great to combine them into one.

But OH how I'd wish for the new bluetooth device to be a POWERBOOK, as I *do* need to buy one!

[ljova.com]

I'd bet that the new device is a Palm, also because it's possible to buy a Bluetooth USB adapter for a whopping $49. Not sure if you can do it just as cheaply with a Palm.

[confirmed]

if it's something coming from Apple, and i think it is.. it has to be the laptops. Apple would NOT release a bluetooth iPod, iPhone, or anything else, until they have computers that can take advantage of that out-of-box. no, the d-link adapter doesn't count, even if it is mentioned on Apple's own site. unless, however, Apple plans on bundling the adapter with all new laptops.

basically.. it's the laptops.. i'm sure of it. although not sure if it'll be both consumer and prosumer or just one (probably prosumer if it was mentioned at a developer's conference).

i only hope they plan on updating the iMacs first (not to include bluetooth, although they might) but just to speed them up.. they're beautiful, but it's been a LONG time!

[ljova.com]

Originally posted by arn
1) I doubt Pogue would either know about a new Apple release or be foolish enough to announce it to the world.

arn [/B]

Why wouldn't he know? He's a member of the press and a key component (sorry to refer to people as "product") of the Switchers campaign. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the Beta-testers for this. Etc. perhaps he wasn't watching his words at a developer conference. At any rate, we shall find out soon...

[MacViolinist]

sluthy:
"Today a young man on acid realised that all matter is merely energy condensed into a smaller vibration, and that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."

I have to say that this is a great sig, but you should remember to give credit where it's due. Bill Hicks all the way.

As far as this thread goes, I think it's a chicken/egg type of thing as far as BlueTooth goes. Apple will release one product, then another, and another, etc. Eventually it will catch on as the way to go and everyone will be making BlueTooth products. 5 years from now there will be people arguing about who came up with BlueTooth to begin with.

-The Gruesome Drewsome

[ntg]

"something important in your life" - unless anyone on this forum uses voice-recognition regularly, I reckon it may well be a wireless keyboard and/or mouse.
This would then logically require bluetooth in all new machines as a matter of course, but a USB bluetooth adapter would suffice until these upgrades are introduced...

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by edvniow
What about that Apple/Phillips thing a few months ago? Is it too soon for that?

imho, that would be too soon.

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by Stike
Ok, to sum up all possibilities and rumors here, it can be said that it is likely a electronic device from Apple and it should be smaller and portable and it will have Bluetooth integrated.



Were no rumors floating around about a tablet style device? PDA? :D Watch the eye :D
But it could fit. Hm, lets be surprised!

let's be either surprised or disappointed. :-)

[peterjhill]

Originally posted by giovanni
dudes ! Palms are dead, DEAD.

Palms are sooo dead. Handspring had sort of the right idea, combine a phone with a PDA, but they started with the pda and added the phone. The T68i looks like it is done right, add a PDA to a phone, though I would not want to input anything into one. So, question... Does anyone know if you can send your vcard with your Ti68 via bluetooth or irda? That would certainally be cool.

But yeah, Palm needs to come out with something super-revolutionary. If I am going to buy a new palm, it would have to be as thin as a credit card, maybe two credit cards. It would need bluetooth, and it would need a new palm os.

[DaveGee]

Originally posted by ntg
"something important in your life" - unless anyone on this forum uses voice-recognition regularly, I reckon it may well be a wireless keyboard and/or mouse.
This would then logically require bluetooth in all new machines as a matter of course, but a USB bluetooth adapter would suffice until these upgrades are introduced...

Bluetooth Keyboard or Mouse...

This is something that has bothered me for a while.

How bluetooth works.

Bluetooth devices don't just 'see' and 'use' each other automaticly. They must be 'paired' (see below). The reason for this is with the range of BT the computer needs to know if it's allowed to use/listen to a specific BT device.

Why? Well imagine a computer room with 4 computers with BT keyboards all in a 10 foot by 10 foot space. It would be havoc if each computer 'saw/heard' each keyboard. How would it know what keyboard was 'talking' to it?

BT Device #1 (a computer) will 'see' BT Device #2 (say a phone) but in order for device #1 to USE device #2 they must 'pair'. With a phone this usually would also require a passcode of some type (that needs to be entered on both devices) but with a printer I don't think it does and the CPU alone can do the pairing.

To pair two BT devices you must go to the CPU (using the mouse and keyboard) and make the connection.

Now how would you do that with a BT keyboard and mouse? I could 'kinda' see it work with a mouse but even then it wouldn't be easy.

The only way I see this working is you'd have to have another keyboard/mouse also connected to the computer to allow you to do the pairing and if that's the case then I'm not sure I see the point in having BT versions as well. I guess with a laptop this would be 'okay' but for normal desktop computers I don't see how they could ever go totally wireless...

I fully admit that I'm NOT a BT genius (far from it) so if I'm missing something please let me know.

-edit-

Some might say 'well Microsoft demo'd them and is going to produce them' but you know what they are being built for? The (soon to be released) tabletPC. You see BT keyboards and mice would be totally possible with a tablet since you can use the normal input functions of the tablet (stylus) to do the pairing.

Dave

[aasmund]

How about an airport card w- bluetooth support.

This would be a nice upgrade and not aleniate old buyers.

[giovanni]

peterjhill, I am totally with you also on the T68i - the Palm concept killer; and yes, inputing on the T68 is a nightmare, but still it has indeed killed my Palm and I am so happy. Apart from the inputing problem, and in my case, it is just what I was waiting for for years and it works really great. For my needs jut the perfect combination palm/cell which was clearly the way to go (and of course more needs to be done). I wonder why it took so long, and even with the T68i, we still have a long way to go in terms of development...

[Qunchuy]

Originally posted by aasmund
How about an airport card w- bluetooth support.

This would be a nice upgrade and not aleniate old buyers.

Oh, my. That would be an amazing product. That's the kind of rumor I like to see!

It would, however, be a bit inconvenient for those of us who already have airport cards. If this fantastic rumor turns into fact, a trade-in program would be nice to see.

[technocoy]

yes you can send your vcard with the t68i...
once a BT product is paired it stays paired...
apple would give each keyboard

[technocoy]

yes you can send your vcard with the t68i...
once a BT product is paired it stays paired...
apple would give each keyboard it's own BT I.D., and at startup the software that came with the keyboard, i.e. isync/BT update, auto searches and finds the keyboard/mouse... you then pair with it and walla!.... there you have it.

I have a t68i, and isync, and 10.2.1.... and it is awesome!!

[Kid Red]

Originally posted by sandsl


It could be a Powerbook , but are Powerbooks important in all developers lives? Maybe. (Already have Powerbook 800 wouldn't upgrade just for built-in bluetooth)

It could be a wireless bluetooth mouse because most developers use mice?
Maybe. (Something I would buy)

It could be a phone or project with sony ericsson/phillips ?
Maybe, not likely. Too soon after relationship was announced.

It might not even be from Apple....

Powerbooks are due for an update, but some would say the the mouse is also due for an update - it has remained the same (apart from new white color version) for a long time.

I doubt he is taking about a palm. I don't have a palm, I only know a few people that do, and if I did, I wouldn't call it an important object in my life.


Whatever it is I hope its at MacExpo London so I can have a look in November.

You miss read the quote. "...one of the major makers of something important in your life will start making something that has Bluetooth standard" So the 'something in 2 weeks' is not important, what's 'important' is it's makers currently make. So you read it wrong as the released something in 2 weeks is not important only uses a bluetooth standard.

Someone mentioned a camera because iPhoto is set to be released in a few weeks. I hope for a powerbook.

[DaveGee]

Originally posted by technocoy
once a BT product is paired it stays paired... Apple would give each keyboard it's own BT I.D., and at startup the software that came with the keyboard, i.e. isync/BT update, auto searches and finds the keyboard/mouse... you then pair with it and walla!.... there you have it.

I'm not sure I understand...

How would you pair a BT keyboard and mouse with a computer wouldn't the keyboard and mouse already need to be paired in order use the keyboard and mouse to do the pairing in the first place? Kind like a chicken-egg syndrome.

If the BT keyboard and mouse still worked without pairing then why pair them in the first place but even if that was true then what would happen in my office where I have 7 computers in a small space. Move one mouse and seven computers all respond. The sure as heck would be a problem so yea they have to be paired and so it brings up back to the same question... How do you pair a BT keyboard and mouse with a computer if the only keyboard and mouse you have at BT to beging with?

The point I'm getting at is Apple could never move to ONLY shipping desktop computers with BT keyboards/mice. Unless they could come up with some way to ID the CLOSEST BT mouse and keyboard and auto-pair with them but I don't think BT can tell distance... Even if they I could I still see problems with something like that but it wouldn't be as bad...

Dave

[DaveGee]

nevermind...

[AaronAdams]

Originally posted by ljova.com


Why wouldn't he know? He's a member of the press and a key component (sorry to refer to people as "product") of the Switchers campaign. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the Beta-testers for this. Etc. perhaps he wasn't watching his words at a developer conference. At any rate, we shall find out soon...

I can tell you, being a member of the switchers campaign doesn't mean jack squat when it comes to new product information ;)

[mmoore00]

So, iPod? Updated. Wouldnt charge over bluetooth. Firewire better.



Let's not get into this again, but just for the record.... Do you have any idea how long it would take for an iPod to transfer songs over bluetooth? Bluetooth ony transfers at 1 mbps!

From the spec sheet:
"Bluetooth devices require little power and are intended for transmit- ting small
amounts of data at almost 1 Mbps over short distances of up to 30 feet"

Firewire transfers at 400mbps... and thats why iPods are so nice to use... no clunky USB or *ahem* bluetooth transfer to SLOW THEM DOWN!

Oh well.... Personally, i'm hoping for a powerbook ;)

[peterjhill]

For all of those who are wondering how to deal with a bluetooth keyboard, I would think that it would be easy. Examples:
1) replacement keyboard: You take the keyboard out of the box, put the batteries in (it will need power somehow -- which is why I kind of think bluetooth keyboards are silly), you still have your usb keyboard plugged into the computer, you do the pairing that way
2) new computer with only bluetooth keyboard: you start the computer, it realizes that there is no keyboard attached, it detects the bluetooth keyboard, it tells you to use the keyboard that you want to pair to type in a string that appears on the computer monitor. So if there are multiple bluetooth keyboards around, it would listen to all of them, and the one that typed in the magic phrase on the screen would be the one that would be paired. Pretty simple. Once there was a keyboard that was paired, it would not look for another during startup, as long as it could detect the paired keyboard. So if that keyboard breaks, you just take out the batteries and put them into your replacement keyboard

Mice could work similarly. If the computer was never paired with a mouse, and one was not plugged in, it could ask you to use the mouse to click in four squares randomly placed on the screen, or better yet, come up with a keyboard friendly list of available mice and have you choose, perhaps listing a bluetooth id next to each.

The fact is, that it is possible to set up a system to use a bluetooth mouse or keyboard, without having a usb mouse or keyboard.

Personally, I don't see the point, I don't want to replace batteries for my mice or keyboard, unless it would take a 9v battery and would last over a month.

[JW Pepper]

I can't believe that this would be Apple. Mr Progue would end his carear and friendship whith Apple if he were to upstage Apple.

[technocoy]

thanks PETERJHILL...
that's essentially what i was trying to say with much fewer words.....:)
but i don't see this happening either... bluetooth just isn't a stable enough platform yet to make a system dependent on it.

later

[Wash!!]

Just bring back the newton in a smaller case!!!! already

The tech is almost 10 years old and still 5 years ahead of what palm and company can do.

:D

[DaveGee]

peterjhill,

Thanks... Give your description it does sound possible but I too agree with you ... just because it's 'possible' doesn't make it a good idea. I'm not sure BT is mature enough for keyboard/mouse quite yet.

Dave

[peterjhill]

Originally posted by DaveGee
peterjhill,

Thanks... Give your description it does sound possible but I too agree with you ... just because it's 'possible' doesn't make it a good idea. I'm not sure BT is mature enough for keyboard/mouse quite yet.

Dave
Believe me, I agree with you. I think that a single usb cable going to my laptop for my keyboard (so that I can put my 21" monitor in front of me and my laptop next to it) and one usb cord to my mouse is perfectly acceptable, so that i don't need to put batteries in them. I would consider a cordless mouse, but they already exist and would not require me to get a bluetooth usb dohicky to use it.

Even for cameras, I would rather use the pcmcia slot and a cd adapter or a usb adapter to transfer pictures quickly, than to use up my cameras battery to do it via bluetooth.

I think that PDA's, telephones, and GPS recievers are where bluetooth could be useful. Perhaps bluetooth speakers, but I am not sure if I want to stream audio across bluetooth, unless the speakers had a built in mp3 decoder, and I could stream mp3s to it. That might be cool for a stereo add on. My reciever (Harmon Kardon 220) has a built in mp3 decoder, and a bluetooth connection would be sweet.

[mr evil brkfast]

New ibook; New powerbook; new amazing digital device that is NOT a PDA give us everything!!!!!!!!!!
1:D

[Wash!!]

NEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTONNEWTON NEWTON
PLEASEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[Ibjr]

Originally posted by ntg
"something important in your life" - unless anyone on this forum uses voice-recognition regularly, I reckon it may well be a wireless keyboard and/or mouse.
This would then logically require bluetooth in all new machines as a matter of course, but a USB bluetooth adapter would suffice until these upgrades are introduced...

anyone know if HID Bluetooth has been given the green light?

Well MS MS seems to think so (http://www.microsoft.com/legal/protocols/protocols.asp#Bluetooth%20HID).

So mac will not be first. But AFAIK the HID hasn't been given a go, so why would apple join MS w/ half baked spec?

[GetSome681]

Yeah, maybe it's not from Apple...

Anyone seen those new commercials for that new Nokia phone that they say we'll see more "soon." Looks like an awesome phone really...like an lcd on the back maybe? Might have to get that. Anyways, just a guess...and with them mentioning "coming soon" in the commercial seemed like it fit. What u think?

[Wry Cooter]

The Palm may be dead, but I think a Bluetooth Palm may be all that Pogue is referring to. Think about it. What does he write about the most OTHER than Macs?

[mstur]

Originally posted by Wry Cooter
The Palm may be dead, but I think a Bluetooth Palm may be all that Pogue is referring to. Think about it. What does he write about the most OTHER than Macs?

Yes, you might be right. But I miss another device in all the posts which could be definitely important for Apple developers (if SonyEricsson and Symbian finally overcame the problems Psion had with syncing to the Mac):

The SonyEricsson P800 ! A Symbian 7 smartphone with Bluetooth, triple band GSM/GPRS and integrated camera. It will be out in October, will have Bluetooth and - hopefully - iSync compatability !!!

It might be the surprise thing you might expect from two companies like Apple and SonyEricsson, especially since currently only SonyEricsson mobiles phones are iSync compatible and since SonyEricsson is pushing the P800 heavily.

[muzicpastr]

Does anyone know what day the announcement was made, and when that would mean this device will be announced on? Two weeks is a pretty specific time period.
I am personally hoping for the Powerbook as I plan on purchasing one and have heard the rumblings that a new one is in production.

[segastyle]

i had heard that the p800 won't be available until december at the earliest. it's been held back a few times now because sony-ericsson wanted to have more apps available for it.

i think it would be great if it was a phone with some sort of apple interface. microsoft will have their interface coming out on phones soon. something tells me they won't be as easy to sync with a mac. but very easy with windows thanks to microsoft "activesync".....

i'm still betting on it being updated laptops or airport cards. that way people won't have to worry about disconnecting the usb bluetooth adapter from their laptop every time the put it in a bag.