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Final Question Before I Make "the Switch"

stevietheb

stevietheb

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 15, 2004
591
0
Houston
To Bluetooth or not to Bluetooth?

What can I really do with Bluetooth aside from keyboard and mouse type stuff? I don't use a cell phone or PDA...I can't find a good reason to get it.

Also, is it true that on an iBook, I can't go out and buy a bluetooth module and install it myself later on if I feel that I need it? Or was that a nasty rumor?


Thanks in advance!
 
bluetooth coming from the factory is soldered to the MOBO and is not a customer installable part
meaning that if you want it built in , point of purchase is your only change. There are usb dongle and whatnot to serve the same purpose should you ever want it.

In reality my cell phone doesn't have BT and my powerbook does and I never use it ... but thats me
 
Personally, I don't think you need bluetooth. I use a cell phone, PDA, laptop, etc., and get by with the setups I have right now just fine, without needing or wishing I had Bluetooth. It's just me, but I don't think it's a requirement, and I think you'll be just fine without it.
 
I am about to switch to an ibook too. A couple of things about the ibook with internal buetooth are that neither the Airport nor the bluetooth protrude from the notebook.

You can get a bluetooth 2 button scroll wheel mouse with on / off switch for $45. This means that you will not wear out your USB port with the mouse.
 
It is true, you cannot install the Bluetooth later. You can put the airport car in later on. If you think you might need to put in the airport card, just get it with the computer. I waited and it cost me in shipping. Also, I added my own RAM later on, too.
 
If you're only going to use it for a mouse and keyboard, no, save yourself whatever money it costs and just forgo it. If you don't have a PDA or anything that uses it, don't waste your time.
 
BT

Bluetooth is a technology that is only now coming of age and as such the technology's abilities have yet to come to bear.
I would get it for the $45.00 that it costs because a dongle costs the same and yet it hangs out from a USB port making it another thing you need to have with you and another thing to loose and/or damage. Since the chip needs to be soldered to the MOBO you won't be able to do it later, so you might need it later. Personally I have a SonyEricsson T610 and a really neat little program called Salling Clicker which lets me control my mac using BT, including Keynote, Powerpoint, iTunes, etc.
I can also use iSync to move information to the phone and push it back, without any cables, plus there's some more technologies heading down the pipe that look promising. For 45 bucks get it and know that it's there if and when you get a device that uses BT.
 
Currently my plan is to get the 12" with the combo drive. I'm upgrading the hard drive to 60gb, and other than that, making no more changes at point of purchase (save that I may decide to spend the $45 on Bluetooth). I will be getting a 512MB RAM from crucial.

Still deciding...will probably wait until Tuesday to order (just in case something cool is announced as that seems to be the rumor)...Question number 2 is: Can I hold out that long? hahha
 
Bluetooth has yet to prove itself as a reliable method for connecting to a multitude of devices. Seems to work fine for people with Apple keyboards and mice, but once you start moving to phones and PDA's the connectivity issues start escalating.

But, those issues may be resolved and Bluetooth might catch on here in the US. Doubt it, but it might.

I'd think of the built-in Bluetooth option as a kind of insurance that your iBook will have maximum value over it's long life (in case you want to re-sell it at some point to someone who will be using a wireless mouse/keyboard) or have the longest usefullness for you (at some point you might actually want a Bluetooth device).

Get it now, and when you power-up your iBook turn Bluetooth off from the Menu Bar. This will lengthen your battery life.

And, when you do get your iBook & eMac I hope you'll be giving us a report!
 
I think I'm going to go ahead and get the Bluetooth. When I'm about to drop $2500 on computers, what's another $45? I may find some need of it--and maybe I won't. We'll just see.

This is the biggest purchase that my wife and I have made together (we've been married just shy of two years), and I think it's a good one. I'm gonna hold a bit on the eMac just to see if the rumor mill has any validity.

All-in-all, I can't wait to switch to Apple. I hope to be using better and better Apple products for years and years and years.
 
The two upgrades that I would recommend on the iBook would be upgrade the hard disk, which you have done and bluetooth. Bluetooth is an emerging technology, printers are now starting to appear with Bluetooth, and you never know what goodies Apple may bring out. As one of the other users say, it will help prolong the life of the ibook. I really miss USB2 on my Power Mac MMD.
 
Here's how my Apple Store Current Order Looks:

iBook 12.1"/800MHz/Combo drive Z085 1 $1,200.00
Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) 065-4415

AirPort Extreme Card 065-4418

256MB DDR266 SDRAM (128MB built-in & 128MB SO-DIMM) 065-4405

Keyboard/Mac OS X - U.S. English 065-4419

Bluetooth Module 065-4661

60GB Ultra ATA drive 065-4413


eMac 1GHz/256MB/80GB/SuperDrive/E/56K - Refurbished F8951LL/A 1 $929.00 $929.00

eMac Tilt & Swivel Stand M8784G/A 1 $49.00

LaCie d2 160GB FireWire Drive T6552LL/A 1 $179.00

Then I've got a crucial shopping cart with a 512MB RAM upgrade for each: $229.98.

Grand Total: $2,586.98 after S/H (which is $0, hehe)
 
Originally posted by James Craner
I really miss USB2 on my Power Mac MMD.
Click to expand...
I've got a 5-port macally USB2 card (NEC chipset) and it actually seems to work properly (sleep and everything). It's worth getting just so that you don't die before your scanner finishes anything using USB1
 
I've got a 5-port macally USB2 card (NEC chipset) and it actually seems to work properly (sleep and everything). It's worth getting just so that you don't die before your scanner finishes anything using USB1
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip Caveman I will check it out.
 
Originally posted by stevietheb
Here's how my Apple Store Current Order Looks:

iBook 12.1"/800MHz/Combo drive Z085 1 $1,200.00
Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) 065-4415

AirPort Extreme Card 065-4418

256MB DDR266 SDRAM (128MB built-in & 128MB SO-DIMM) 065-4405

Keyboard/Mac OS X - U.S. English 065-4419

Bluetooth Module 065-4661

60GB Ultra ATA drive 065-4413

Click to expand...
is that 1200 figure after tax?!! i have the same ibook with 20gb hard drive..i got it on edu discount..still its 1209 aftr tax..how come u got more HD?:eek:
 
I'm ordering online, so there shouldn't be any tax, and $0 shipping as well.

Also, the standard iBook config has 30gb rather than 20. The standard config is $999 with edu discount. I'm adding the 60gb hard drive, which is $67 ($1,066), the Airport Extreme Card, another $89 ($1,155), and the $45 Bluetooth ($1200).
 
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