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Bluetooth

F

FlamDrag

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 8, 2003
425
0
Western Hemisphere
What in the world am I going to use Bluetooth to do? Someone please explain the benefits of this technology to me.

Do you already have it? What do YOU do with it?

If you don't have it, do you care if you get it?

I was hoping that bluetooth.com would have some bt enabled products for me to browse and learn about, but I didn't find any before I was annoyed by the web site.
 
I Use It

At the moment the best use (on a Mac) is to synchronise your contacts (from Address Book) and Calendars (from iCal) with your mobile devices. I use it to keep my Mac and my mobile phone (SE T68i) synchronised. You can also use the T68i as a modem through Bluetooth, send and receive SMS messages on your Mac through the phone (really cool). If you are on a call on your mobile whilst it is paired and someone else calls you a little window pops up on your Mac telling you this and offers you the choice of switching calls or rejecting their call (service provider dependant). You can also transfer pictures, ringtones and text notes to and from the phone using Bluetooth File Exchange.

Enough?
 
Heh.

You forgot bluetooth mice and keyboards..I sure hope Apple is able to get MS's Wireless Bluetooth Explorer to work soon...I bought one, the Mac saw it, but MS had a hardware lock on it so that only those with Windows XP SP1 and MS's own adapter would work with it.

Like me, many people returned it because they wanted to use their internal bluetooth, but MS wouldn't let them. Others returned it because MS's adapter didn't support serial syncing, which is required for syncing with most Cell phones.

Was a damned fine mouse, though...had a nice weight and AWESOME grip...
 

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Re: Heh.

Originally posted by Einherjar
You forgot bluetooth mice and keyboards..I sure hope Apple is able to get MS's Wireless Bluetooth Explorer to work soon...I bought one, the Mac saw it, but MS had a hardware lock on it so that only those with Windows XP SP1 and MS's own adapter would work with it.

Like me, many people returned it because they wanted to use their internal bluetooth, but MS wouldn't let them. Others returned it because MS's adapter didn't support serial syncing, which is required for syncing with most Cell phones.

Was a damned fine mouse, though...had a nice weight and AWESOME grip...
Click to expand...

ACK!!!!! you have tarnished the thread with a product of the enemy. You must be punished.
 

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Re: Heh.

Originally posted by Einherjar
You forgot bluetooth mice and keyboards..I sure hope Apple is able to get MS's Wireless Bluetooth Explorer to work soon...I bought one, the Mac saw it, but MS had a hardware lock on it so that only those with Windows XP SP1 and MS's own adapter would work with it.

Like me, many people returned it because they wanted to use their internal bluetooth, but MS wouldn't let them. Others returned it because MS's adapter didn't support serial syncing, which is required for syncing with most Cell phones.

Was a damned fine mouse, though...had a nice weight and AWESOME grip...
Click to expand...

Others (like me) returned it because the mouse tracking was a joke... I payed almost $200 for the keyboard/Mouse/Bluetooth Adapter... installation was fine. But the mouse tracking sucked, BIG TIME! I even had my intellimouse optical plugged in and took turns A/Bing the mouse cursor... the intellimouse rocked.

Sorry M$. Another Sh*tty product. :mad:
 
Re: Heh.

Originally posted by Einherjar
You forgot bluetooth mice and keyboards..I sure hope Apple is able to get MS's Wireless Bluetooth Explorer to work soon...I bought one, the Mac saw it, but MS had a hardware lock on it so that only those with Windows XP SP1 and MS's own adapter would work with it.

Like me, many people returned it because they wanted to use their internal bluetooth, but MS wouldn't let them. Others returned it because MS's adapter didn't support serial syncing, which is required for syncing with most Cell phones.

Was a damned fine mouse, though...had a nice weight and AWESOME grip...
Click to expand...

I didn't forget it - I just don't have one. I was looking for a BT mouse to use with my iBook, but could not find one :( Hopefully Apple will release a new mouse soon.
 
Nobody's mentioned the greatest thing about BlueTooth:

Truly wireless internet, anywhere, from your cell phone. That's right, if you have a Bluetooth cell phone, and it has a signal, you can dial up to the internet via your phone, without digging it out of your backpack or pocket. Check email, send faxes, browse the internet from anywhere!

(My Dad's getting that set up, and I'm really jealous, so that's why I'm even posting this.)

JW
 
I though I said I could use it as a Modem? It is a really cool feature. Especially if you are somewhere that makes keeping IR contact a bit difficult (like on a BR train. Does Brittain have the bumpiest tracks in the world or what). Anyway Bluetooth is the best thing since sliced bread.
 
Those are all nice features.

Let me ask this though. Imagine a lab setting where several macs have bluetooth.

I walk in with my bluetooth enabled cell phone. How many folks are going to be able to sync with it?

How many BT mice are going to controll the wrong computer?

Genuine, honest questions.

I saw a Sony Video Camera with bluetooth. How fast is digital video going to be sent to FCP or iMovie with it?

I'm disappointed with the lack of decent information available. You guys are helping.
 
None. The first time you attempt to connect your mac to your cell phone a little message pops up on your cell phone asking you if you want to pair with the laptop. If you say yes you type a 4 digit code into the phone and the same 4 digit phone on the mac. Now until you tell either device otherwise they can pair without you needing to do anything. In addition you can always stop your phone from being discoverable. If you use a different mac each day you simply need to remove the cell phone from the list of paired devices when you are finished. Devices do not automatically attempt to pair. You need to tell them to look for devices to pair with.

In the case of mice each mouse will only allow intself to pair with one machine at a time (as each machine has a name), so there is no problem there either.
 
Personally I don't need it, as i currently own no other bluetooth kit, however I fully expect it to come in handy in the long run - in a number of ways its a lot like a wireless USB connection. I'm thinking about buying one of the new Palms, for example, and being able to sync over bluetooth is far better than by cable or IR :)

As for people connecting to your BT kit without your permission i believe you can set an access password to the kit and so on.
 
I also have a T68i with BT and it's awesome.

All in all, think USB sans wires. I think it will catch on once all Apple products use it, and more peripherals come with it (I hear smarteleks saying "no sh*t, Sherlock"). but it's the simple truth.

When the USB only iMac came out, people screamed bloody murder. "But I have an ADB mouse and a serial tablet. This USB will not catch on!" Once you upgrade your machine and it has BT, you will buy BT, and it will become useful.
 
I saw a Sony Video Camera with bluetooth. How fast is digital video going to be sent to FCP or iMovie with it?
Click to expand...


yeah, bluetooth sucks for transferring large amounts of data its speed is somewhere around 700 - 800 KBps so compared to firewire its no good for transferring video. Maybe it could be pretty good for transferring still images from the camera.
 
Originally posted by robbieduncan
Especially if you are somewhere that makes keeping IR contact a bit difficult (like on a BR train. Does Brittain have the bumpiest tracks in the world or what).
Click to expand...

I highly doubt that. The tracks here in the NW are so bad that they can not exceed 65MPH and in vast section can't exceed 55MPH for feer the tracks will break up.
 
Originally posted by FlamDrag
"Wireless USB" - that sounds pretty good. I didn't realize that it was even that fast of a connection.

Thanks for all of the info.
Click to expand...

its no where near as fast as USB. USb maxes out at 11 mbps. bluetooth is less than 1 mbps. its 11 times slower.

the closest to wireless USB would be 802.11b (original airport), whcih also has a 11 mbps throughput. bluetooth is utterly useless for file transfer or anything like that. Its only real use will be with peripheral connections that use very slow speed (USb peripherals use 1.5 mbps throughput max usually, so thats feasible) and synching with mobile devices since that data is not very large. bluetooth just isn't really that cool in my opinion people make up uses for it, but I don't see how its better than what is already there in many cases.
 
Re: Heh.

Originally posted by Einherjar
... many people returned MS's Wireless Bluetooth Explorer because they wanted to use their internal bluetooth, but MS wouldn't let them. Others returned it because MS's adapter didn't support serial syncing, which is required for syncing with most Cell phones.
Click to expand...

But isn't bluetooth's great appeal that it is a cross-platform open standard? How can MS make a bluetooth device with a propriatary hardware lock (other than illegally?). I smell shades of MS's tinkering with Java... and look where that got them. Arg!
 
Re: Re: Heh.

Originally posted by Maclicious

But isn't bluetooth's great appeal that it is a cross-platform open standard? How can MS make a bluetooth device with a propriatary hardware lock (other than illegally?). I smell shades of MS's tinkering with Java... and look where that got them. Arg!
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, while Bluetooth is an open standard it says nothing about what's being sent over it.

Just because I can use a phone and a Japanese speaker can use the phone it doesn't mean I will be able to understand Japanese or he will be able to understand English.

I don't know the details of the MS mouse but I'd guess it uses BT properly but what it sends needs to be interpreted/decoded by a driver which isn't available for the Mac. If someone else knows better I'd be interested to know.

I'm the last person to say good things about MS, but I don't think everything they do is an evil plot to sabatage Apple, and they do make nice mice!
 
Re: Re: Heh.

Originally posted by ELYXR


Others (like me) returned it because the mouse tracking was a joke... I payed almost $200 for the keyboard/Mouse/Bluetooth Adapter... installation was fine. But the mouse tracking sucked, BIG TIME! I even had my intellimouse optical plugged in and took turns A/Bing the mouse cursor... the intellimouse rocked.

Sorry M$. Another Sh*tty product. :mad:
Click to expand...

I tried it on my sister's Vaio--tracking was perfect in Q3. The thing has an improved tracking system, however, there have been mixed reviews on the tracking, but honestly I don't see it any worse than an Intellimouse 3.0...
 
Re: Re: Re: Heh.

Originally posted by will


Hmmmm, while Bluetooth is an open standard it says nothing about what's being sent over it.

I don't know the details of the MS mouse but I'd guess it uses BT properly but what it sends needs to be interpreted/decoded by a driver which isn't available for the Mac. If someone else knows better I'd be interested to know.
Click to expand...

No, from what I know, the Mac is capable of using Bluetooth HIDs. MS stuck a bluetooth security password on it, instead of letting you set it yourself, as in other bluetooth devices. Configuration is done via the included adapter and the software provided with Windows XP SP1--but all of that is transparent to the user. It's not just a Mac problem, people on Win2k and 98SE with Built-In adapters on machines such as the IBM Thinkpad SHOULD be capable of using the mouse, but such recent moves in hardware requirements by MS are attempting to force people to move to XP--which makes no sense because if I were happy with 2k, there'd be no way I'd update to XP just to use a mouse..
 
You guys are missing major pluses for bluetooth!

FlamDrag,

I don't know if you use a laptop or not, but think about this:

You bring your laptop home or to work. Currently you need to dock your system or at least hook up your printer/scanner/speakers/mouse.

Bluetooth eliminates all those wires and connections. Come home, sit on the couch, hit print and your paper is over in the other room in the printer. Sweet huh!

Maybe you have a desktoop. Imagine not having all those cables behind your desk. Maybe you want your scanner or printer on the other side of the room. Bluetooth fixes these problems.

In the near future you will see other devices (maybe even a refrig) that you will control from one place in the home. Same goes for business. Probably something in your car. Bluetooth is a very awesome technology that has great potential.

The ideas above can be compared to dial-up verses broadband. Once you've got it you'll never go back to the old ways. :D
 
I'm not protesting adapting a new technology, but if it's not good for transferring large amounts of data (due to slow transfer rates) then I'd rather send my prints and scans via USB if it's 11x faster. Those files can be quite large ya know?

I'd LOVE to have the option of an all wireless system, but it doesn't really sound like bluetooth is going to cut the mustard for anything more than just light-duty use.

Mouse / Keyboard sure.

Photo Printer / Scanner / Video - doesn't sound like it.

Speakers / Headphones? Good question. Is it going to be a radio quality broadcast? If so, then why in the world would I do that? I want my listening experience to be nice and clean.

It's all very attractive sounding, but speed seems to be the limitation.
 
I think what is great about Bluetooth is the future possibilites, right now it is pretty slow but like anything else (wi-fi,usb,firewire) it will evolve and get faster and that is when it will become really important, there will be no need for wires then.
 
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