Windows XP SP2 Bluetooth Improvements

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...n/winxpsp2.mspx</a><br /><br /></div>Microsoft has published a lengthy article on the improvements implemented in the upcoming Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. PPCT Review Team Member Philip Colmer noticed this comment about Bluetooth support:<br />Support for Bluetooth wireless technology is included in Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. This support was not previously available directly from Microsoft. It is included now because customers requested that this technology be added to the core Windows operating system.<br /><br />Some of the features that are included in this release are support for PAN (personal area networking using Internet Protocol over Bluetooth), Hard Copy Replacement Profile (HCRP) for printing, dial-up networking, Host Interface Device (HID), object push, and virtual COM ports. Support for selective suspend and boot-mode keyboards (based on specifically configured hardware) is also included.<br /><br />If no Bluetooth transceiver is present on the system, there is no change to the system's behavior. When a Bluetooth device that is approved by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) is present, Bluetooth support is enabled. When Bluetooth support is enabled, you can find changes in the Network Connections section in Control Panel.<br />This is good news for everyone. For Microsoft Bluetooth Transceiver customers (those who bought the Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard/mouse), you'll finally have official driver support to do BT ActiveSync with your MS BT transceiver via the virtual COM ports. Second, by having in-OS support, we'll hopefully start to see increasingly polished Bluetooth support across-the-market. :D

[adamz]

Too bad it will probably break the Widcomm software, and doesn't have as many features. :(

[thunderck]

Soooo this mean Bluetooth is dead? I thought we were told that bluetooth was dead.. :lol: Good times......Good times :!:

Now all we need is Dell to start bundling Bluetooth with new computers and let the house calls begin. :D Mo Money!!! Mo Money!!!

[Janak Parekh]

Too bad it will probably break the Widcomm software, and doesn't have as many features. :(
Hey, it's a start. :) Hopefully it'll be modular so that we can plug in new profiles.

--janak

[brianchris]

As I've said in a number of posts here, I have the MS Bluetooth keyboard & mouse, and spoke to an MS support representative for that hardware almsot a year ago who told me then I would really like WinXP SP2 (as I was asking to Activesync back then). Its great to see this *finally* happening.

The PAN is great as my WM2003 uypgraded iPaq 5455 doesn't support WPA yet (why??? :bad-words: ), so I haven't taken my home network to WPA, but with this, I'll switch my AP to WPA, and get my wireless access on my PDA over bluetooth, saving battery life to boot.

The only questions is when oh when??? :drool:

-Brian

[badbob001]

Would I still need the widcomm software if I'm using xp sp2?

[adamz]

Would I still need the widcomm software if I'm using xp sp2?

Depends what you want to do. The SP2 Bluetooth won't let you do PIM syncing, you won't be able to beam PIM items from Outlook, and Headsets won't work. But you can set up a COM port and connect to Activesync for as long as Activesync decides to maintain the connection.
I wouldn't recommend using the WIDCOMM software with SP2, however... unless a WIDCOMM update is released that's compatible with SP2.

[`helios]

Does anyone know when SP2 is scheduled to be released??

[T-Will]

Will BT ever get to the point where it can sit there in passive mode and when it detects your PC BT connection it will automatically turn on your Pocket PC, connect up, and sync your data?

[jvcrabb]

Can anyone make a recommendation for a USB Bluetooth adapter for my laptop? I have a Dell Inspiron 8100 running Windows XP pro, an iPAQ 2215, and a Haicom Bluetooth slipper with a 303MMF receiver. I want to make sure that I am compatible with XP SP2.

[Jerry Raia]

Does anyone know when SP2 is scheduled to be released??

You can get RC1 of it Here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/sp2preview.mspx

[freitasm]

Can anyone make a recommendation for a USB Bluetooth adapter for my laptop? I have a Dell Inspiron 8100 running Windows XP pro, an iPAQ 2215, and a Haicom Bluetooth slipper with a 303MMF receiver. I want to make sure that I am compatible with XP SP2.

TDK is approved with SP2.

[jvcrabb]

Thanks freitasm! Can you recommend an adapter that is in a USB "Thumb Drive" form factor? The TDK looks nice but I was hoping for something smaller.

[freitasm]

Belkin seems to fit what you want, but they have many different version - don't buy the old ones!

[Jonathan1]

Does anyone know when SP2 is scheduled to be released??

You can get RC1 of it Here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/sp2preview.mspx


:multi:
Warning, Warning. Danger, danger Will Robinson. Be careful with SP2. Microsoft themselves have stated the amount of security and overall changes in it will cause problems initially. I'm guessing the average app will be fine but this isn't like Service Packs in Windows 2000 where each one is pretty stable out of the box. The under the hood enhancements are drastic enough to warrant a big O' warning before you install. You have been warned. :)

[T-Will]

Thanks for the warning, I was contemplating installing this...but then I figured WinXP is running great how it is now, so why fix something that ain't broken.

[Janak Parekh]

We'll all have to eventually install it, but it's probably worth to wait for a final release -- so you can get support if any applications don't work with it.

--janak

[SHoTTa35]

i've been installing since all the betas.. c'mon peoples... gees... there's an option called backup! Use it! :-D I don't see what's the big deal.. yeah XP is sweet but XP SP2 (RC1) is sweeter :-D! It gets kinda boring looking at the samething all day long...

[Janak Parekh]

i've been installing since all the betas.. c'mon peoples... gees... there's an option called backup! Use it! :-D I don't see what's the big deal..
If I'm using a machine for business purposes, I can't afford downtime or incompatibilies. The cost of playing with XP SP2RC1 may be substantial. I'm willing to wait...

--janak

[Philip Colmer]

I quickly tried SP2 Beta 1. Quickly, because it did actually break a few things (like the installation of NAI anti-virus software and being able to access the Bluetooth software).

However, uninstalling it was blissfully good. Not only did the uninstall notice that I had added some applications afterwards and warn me that they might not work afterwards, but it really did seem to restore my machine to its previous state.

I'm not sure if RC1 includes the BT support - the beta certainly didn't.

--Philip

[Jonathon Watkins]

i've been installing since all the betas.. c'mon peoples... gees... there's an option called backup! Use it! :-D I don't see what's the big deal..
If I'm using a machine for business purposes, I can't afford downtime or incompatibilies. The cost of playing with XP SP2RC1 may be substantial. I'm willing to wait...

--janak

I'm going to install it 2 weeks after it comes out. I don't want to be on the bleeding edge, just the cutting edge! :wink:

[gohtor]

l'll be happy only when l can see it working. Been so far disappointed with the implementation woes of bluetooth