Bluetooth Enabled PowerMacs and Portables?

[MacRumors]

The Inquirer posts rumors about an Apple announcment at MWSF:

And finally, saving the best for last, The INQUIRER was struck by a brilliant rumour that Apple is just about to announce that all its major machines - both desktop and laptop, apparently - will all soon boast Bluetooth compatibility.

The news will be released at the forthcoming MacWorld show in San Francisco on January 6th 2003.

Apple's work on Powerbook/iBooks with built-in bluetooth were revealed from the FCC site - indicating that work on such integration had begun as far back as April 2002.

 

[blackketter]

airport and bluetooth

Now, if it were my decision, I'd offer a new generation of airport cards that included bluetooth radios and 54Mbps support.

Thoughts?

 

[Mr. Dibbs]

new airport card not likely

Lucent makes the airport cards for apple, and until apple either contracts someone else, or lucent has that technology, it's not likely.

 

[jcontonio]

those bastards. I just bought this iBook and the damn USB Bluetooth adapter. I really hope they sell it as an airport/bluetooth combo but I doubt it. I don't like this thing sticking out the side of my mac.

 

[robbieduncan]

Damn It

I just got a new iBook and a USB adaptor (£30 including delivery - nice). I too hope that they offer an airport card with bluetooth support.

 

[lmalave]

I just got a new iBook, too. Oh well, I'm not really interested in Bluetooth now anyway. Using a Bluetooth cellphone as a modem is intriguing except the 150 Kbps 2.5G service is still way too expensive anyway (Verizon Wireless has a $99 monthly unlimited plan, but that's on top of whatever monthly plan you have for regular voice calls). And I never use external keyboard or mice with my iBook. Probably the only thing that would make me really want Bluetooth is if someone came out with some good Bluetooth stereo headphones - then I'd definitely get Bluetooth by whatever means possible (which for now means using the USB dongle).

 

[IJ Reilly]

Yawn

If this is the "big announcement" at MWSF, I'm going to bring a comfy pillow to the keynote.

BTW, whatever is announced will be announced when Uncle Steve takes the stage on January 7. Steve does seem to like a crowd and the Moscone Center is going to be pretty dang quiet on January 6...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

The nice thing is that if it does happen I'd be surprised it was the only upgrade to the machines. This will be a nice way to get an across the board speed boost or more. I have no need at this time for bluetooth, so I'm not exactly excited at the news.

D

 

[graphics84]

I just orderd a PB 1 gig... they don't have a ETA on when it'll be here...

I ordered it 12/9 and they said 3-4 weeks... maybe it'll come with bluetooth but I also got a bluetooth adaptor... so I wish they would have told me... (I will get that today via FedEX)

there are also rumors of a Manufacturing change on the TiSD after the 5th fo December... maybe that was the change...

hope it was... sure I lose $50 bucks but I don't mind haveing a USB-Bluetooth adaptor for my desktop too

hope it works out that way

 

[TMay]

...what about 1394b...

Bluetooth is a probable, as the chips are, evidently, readily available.

What about 1394b in PowerMacs? As Apple bought Zayante, you would think that 1394b is an obvious feature for new PowerMacs.

 

[gunb0y]

I'm thinking it would be nice to have one of the new microsoft bluetooth mouses. You bring it in range and it automatically starts working. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet

 

[Einie]

Combo cards will come

Hi, this is my first post, but it is important. I spoke to one of Apple's higher paid ones, and he told me that they combo cards will come. He did not tell me when, but when I asked him about loosing time and track, he replied, that Apple never lost track of innovations. I also asked him about the possibilities of that castrated pc-card slot, that it is used for the airport-card at the moment and he replied , that bluetooth funtionality can be added without any problems, then he corrected himself and said, that it is impossible to enable bluetooth via software update (something I did not ask) and then he changed the topic. He sort of refused to answer my question in first place, but I challenged him bit
Combo cards will come in the near future.....Just think about the fact, that every computer from the PB G3 on can have BT (PM included), even cube and iBook
Einie

 

[orakle]

You have no idea....

Just wait and you will se.
there IS going to be a big announcement in jan 6.
In many ways the biggest ever from this company. I can't tell you what but I promise You all. This one is BIG! and it's affecting the whole world. Not just us Maccies but VERY men y others. Get ready with your credit card.

No one is going to sleep on the keynote because Steve are absolutley right. 2003 will be the turning point for Apple. Much because of this ... Finaly they got a product and a combination that everyone would want to have. The.... are an amazing one and I'm personally will place an order ASAP.

 

[shadowfax]

lol. i wish i could summon up the will to regret having bought mine so quickly... eh, nope. the BT idea is cool, but i dunno. not worth an entire manufacturing change. at all. i would just put it out in the next release in 5-8 months.

as for you, orakle, that was no way to begin your posting career. you aren't fooling anyone, even if you are right. such posting is irrelevant, inappropriate, and just plain ungood eenglish.

 

[synergy]

Sounds nice.
If they came out with some cool bluetooth phones then I'd really dig the bundle.
Would be nice to have a 3G phone with the Quicktime 2.1 and bluetooth. Add to that a bluetooth enabled PDA like Handspring or the Sony. Nice set up.
Of course I don't have the money just now so I am just going to have to sit on the sideline and watch until I upgrade my bank account.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Re: You have no idea....

Originally posted by orakle
Just wait and you will se.
there IS going to be a big announcement in jan 6.

And the first words out of Steve's mouth on January 6 will be,
"Where the heck did everybody go??"

And when everybody shows up for the keynote on January 7, everyone will ask,
"Where the heck is Steve??"

 

[obeygiant]

bluetooth/802.11

i heard a rumor that bluetooth and 802.11 are not compatible because they use the same frequencies. Is this true or not?

 

[Thirteenva]

Originally posted by gunb0y
I'm thinking it would be nice to have one of the new microsoft bluetooth mouses. You bring it in range and it automatically starts working. Sweeeeeeeeeeeet

I believe two people have posted threads in which they couldnt get the MS bluetooth mouse to work on a mac. And of all the MS mice the bluetooth mouse is one of the few that says it has no support for Macs.

 

[porovaara]

Re: bluetooth/802.11

Originally posted by obeygiant
i heard a rumor that bluetooth and 802.11 are not compatible because they use the same frequencies. Is this true or not?

Untue. They co-exist fine. Yes, there is the possibility of some bleeding over on the frequencies but even with bluetooth and 802.11b running constantly on the same laptop at peak you will get at worst a 10% degregation in performance. Bluetooth is much more resiliant than 802.11 when it comes to spreading itself around the spectrum.

 

[shadowfax]

Re: bluetooth/802.11

Originally posted by obeygiant
i heard a rumor that bluetooth and 802.11 are not compatible because they use the same frequencies. Is this true or not?

not really. while the capacity for interference is possible, because they do, yes, operate on the 2.4 GHz band, airport and BT should be fine. there is a ton of bandwidth to be had on the 2.4 GHz range--your neighbor having an airport network or you having a 2.4 GHz phone would be much more harmful to your range. not to worry though, even these usually don't cause much any trouble. there are at least 11 available channels on 2.4 GHz, so you would need a heck of a lot of stuff to occupy them all.

and of course, for clarification, if you were worried about something other than overloaded bandwidth, they don't interfere with one another in other ways, to my knowledge. certainly, BT could never get popular if it killed your airport connection like that, and BT is definitely getiting popular.

 

[york2600]

Bluetooth and 802.11

If anyone here is making statements about how two devices that use the same frequency can coexist fine they need to lay off the pipe. It's seriously hurting their mind. People have been complaining since 802.11 came out that devices on the same frequency were killing their connection. I have personally seen this twice. A fixed channel 2.4Ghz phone took out a VERY expensive lucent basestation that was DUAL channel. That's not suppost to happen. I've also seen a variable channel 2.4Ghz phone take out a 802.11 connection with a nice sized antenna on both sices just about every 2 minutes as it flew past it's specific frequency. I've heard some bad things about certain 802.11 devices not working with certain bluetooth devices. I haven't seen it in person so who knows, but 802.11 and 2.4Ghz phones don't always work together. 2.4Ghz phones dont even work with each other all the time. (Siemens and IBM 2.4Ghz phones hate each other)

-Tim

 

[porovaara]

Re: Bluetooth and 802.11

Originally posted by york2600
I've heard some bad things about certain 802.11 devices not working with certain bluetooth devices.

-Tim

I've used cards from 6 (yes six vendors) on laptops equipped with bluetooth. There are no problems. There is no pipe. It isn't even remotely fair to compare a low tech band blanketing 2.4ghz phone to something like bluetooth that utilizes small channels (hence small bandwith) and does constact spread spectrum frequency jumping.

Again, I use bluetooth and 802.11 *every day* on the same laptop. It works fine.

 

[Talon1138]

what about "new" pb G4s?

I just ordered a new 1 ghz pb.

so if apple does announce bluetooth starting in Jan, I better be able to get it free.

 

[Frobozz]

Re: You have no idea....

Originally posted by orakle
Just wait and you will se.
there IS going to be a big announcement in jan 6.
In many ways the biggest ever from this company...

You sound so sure! With all the hoopla going around about this one guy getting arrested for divulging trade secrets, I guess I'm not surprised there are few details...

How about a type of product, and nothing more? Consumer, Pro, Portable, Desktop, Consumer Electronic, iApp, or other?

 

[orakle]

English?

" as for you, orakle, that was no way to begin your posting career. you aren't fooling anyone, even if you are right. such posting is irrelevant, inappropriate, and just plain ungood eenglish."

Well... it's not the first time I write a post in a Forum but the first time as 'orakle' so it's really not a new career. As for fooling... I don't have to fool anyone and I simply looking forward to january.
Regarding the ungood English: That depends on that English is not my natural language. And I'm not living in the US. I'll try to make it (the language) better.

Also: I can't give you any more clues but no one is going to be dissapointed.
Stunned would probably be a better word.