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"bluetooth ready"...?

P

pnz999

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 6, 2002
70
0
Notes on new Power Mac G4s
Some notes on the updated Power Mac G4s:

The only Mac OS 9 bootable machine is an older Dual 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 (with 2MB of DDR L3 cache per processor) for $2,499. It is available at the Apple Store. All the Power Macs are pre-installed with (and only run) Mac OS X.
All models are "Bluetooth ready" and require a $50 Apple Bluetooth module for full functionality
All 3 models feature 64MB of GPU memory. The Radeon 9700 Pro is available as a BTO option, but is listed as "coming soon" for an additional $300. The Nvidia GeForce4 Titanium with 128MB is available now as a $300 BTO option.
The high-end dual-1.42GHz model features 2MB of DDR SDRAM per processor versus 1MB on each of the lower-end models.
An updated SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) writes DVD-R discs at 4x speed, reads DVDs at 8x speed, and has a 16x/8x/32x mechanism (vs. 2x/6x DVD-R and 8x/4x/24x CD-RW in previous SuperDrive models).
Only the high-end model is equipped with a SuperDrive (where as the top 2 previous models featured a SuperDrive). It is available as a $200 BTO option.
Ultra160 SCSI drives are no longer available as a BTO option on Power Macs, however, Ultra SCSI PCI card is a $50 option. A new 180GB Ultra ATA option is available as a $150 upgrade from the 120GB drive.
Click to expand...

according to Macnn, the new power mac "are "Bluetooth ready" and require a $50 Apple Bluetooth module for full functionality "? what the heck?

is it the same for the new Al powerbook too? if I buy the PB I still need a bluetooth module?
 
Chaszmyr

Chaszmyr

macrumors 601
Aug 9, 2002
4,267
86
The reason is its easy to take out and put in blue tooth to a tower, so they have the option of making you buy it seperately :p
 
patrick0brien

patrick0brien

macrumors 68040
Oct 24, 2002
3,246
9
The West Loop
Originally posted by FlamDrag
17" Powerbook has bluetooth built-in, 12" and 15" you need a dongle.

It's pretty plain to read on the Apple Store page.
Click to expand...

-FlamDrag

Well, I guess this is debatable.

I'm in the market for a new 12" and your comment made me scramble to Apple.com to see for myself, and this is what I found:

At: http://www.apple.com/powerbook/index17.html

You are right as it says: "Sync with Bluetooth
Bluetooth is built-in to the new 17-inch PowerBook G4 model."

But at: http://www.apple.com/powerbook/wireless.html

it adds the 12" to the "Built-In BlueTooth" category: "Connecting wirelessly with Bluetooth
Bluetooth is built-in to the new 17-inch and 12-inch PowerBook G4 models (available with an optional adapter on the 15-inch PowerBook G4)."

also at: http://www.apple.com/powerbook/index12.html

It is stated: "The Bluetooth connection
Bluetooth, built-in to the new 12-inch PowerBook G4 model, connects digital devices wirelessly."

It's too bad the link from the top of the Hardware page to the Powerbooks section takes you to the 17" without being more specific. I can see how the cross-references to the other models, and lack therof of an equal cross-reference to built-in BlueTooth to the 12" can lead one to think that the 17" is the only one with BlueTooth built in.
 
T

TyleRomeo

macrumors 6502a
Mar 22, 2002
888
0
New York
m pretty sure the first MDD Power Macs are also bluetooth compatible. The Bluetooth adapter is just USB. So i would think any USB mac can have blue tooth.

Tyler
 
mattmack

mattmack

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2002
563
0
San Francisco Area
Originally posted by TyleRomeo
m pretty sure the first MDD Power Macs are also bluetooth compatible. The Bluetooth adapter is just USB. So i would think any USB mac can have blue tooth.

Tyler
Click to expand...
If you have a USB port and are running os X I believe you can have bluetooth
 
M

morlium

macrumors regular
Dec 18, 2002
162
0
Doesn't Bluetooth-ready mean that there is an internal USB port for the bluetooth dongle?

If not, it's just a stupid marketing trick.
 
B

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
Both the 12" and 17" powerbooks have Bluetooth built-in.

The Powermacs announced today have the option of an internal bluetooth module.

Everything else still requires a USB base bluetooth module.
 
C

ChicagoMac

macrumors regular
Nov 8, 2002
117
0
Battle Creek, MI
So what exactly is bluetooth good for? It sounds like a hillbilly dental hygene problem. I know it's a wireless connection of some sort, but what would you really use it for?
 
mattmack

mattmack

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2002
563
0
San Francisco Area
Originally posted by ChicagoMac
So what exactly is bluetooth good for? It sounds like a hillbilly dental hygene problem. I know it's a wireless connection of some sort, but what would you really use it for?
Click to expand...

Close range wireless communication. eg syncing your bluetooth phone with address book and palm desktop
 
P

pepeleuepe

macrumors 6502
Oct 27, 2002
252
0
Los Angeles, California
Bluetooth stuff

Originally posted by ChicagoMac
So what exactly is bluetooth good for? It sounds like a hillbilly dental hygene problem. I know it's a wireless connection of some sort, but what would you really use it for?
Click to expand...

You can currently get bluetooth mice, and will soon (maybe now) be able to get bluetooth keyboards and printers. All of this with the goal of reducing desk clutter with less wires.
 
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