07-09-2002, 12:26 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Bluetooth still lacks bite
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/07/08/tech.test.bluetooth.ap/index.html
This from the "I could have told you that 4 months ago" department.  The author states "the Bluetooth devices I tested couldn't all "find" each other. Even when they could, they didn't always work right."
He had an iPAQ 3870, Ericsson phone, IBM T30 laptop with built in BT, a Sony-Ericsson headset and the 3COM BT USB adapter. He had about as much fun, and success, as most people do trying to load 8 different types of device drivers for DOS in one config.sys file. "So Bluetooth still isn't quite ready for prime time. But it ought to be, and soon."
Uh huh. I'll believe it when I see it. I really hope it works, but I've been hearing about Bluetooth and seeing demo's since 1999. Three years later, I am hearing about it, seeing demos and reading reviews like this. Great when it works, but getting it to work can be very frustrating if you aren't lucky enough to have it work out of the box. I'll stick with my cables for now. Well, not my ethernet cable. That is collecting dust thanks to my WiFi card. And my travel USB cable. That too is collecting dust thanks to IR.
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07-09-2002, 12:33 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Uh-oh. You're gonna' catch hell from Duncan and the BFC (Bluetooth Faithful Crew) for this one. :twisted:
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07-09-2002, 12:46 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Uh-oh. You're gonna' catch hell from Duncan and the BFC (Bluetooth Faithful Crew) for this one. :twisted:
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Yeah, I know. That is why I am going home now. :lol:
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07-09-2002, 01:52 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,468
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I'm just going to quote one little bit of the review:
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During my testing of a Compaq iPAQ handheld and an Ericsson phone, for instance, the devices recognized each other. But I couldn't use the phone to connect the iPAQ to the Internet -- even after an hour's help from tech support.
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I bought an r520m phone and an iPAQ 3870 - I had never used BT before or owned an Ericsson phone. I am not a technician and don't even like to open the casing of my PC - but I had the devices connecting and was surfing the net within 20 minutes. Either I'm a genius or he's a moron!
His other problems? Well 3COM implemented BT very badly - I say as I always have - that makes it their fault not the fault of BT. IBM problem? Who knows - but he's a tech writer and doesn't understand you need to enable GPRS??! I'm going to go for the safe side and assume he's a moron.
Guys - I have not problems with you criticising various companies implementations of BT - but you and I know there are many WiFi manufacturers who similarly make poorly implemted products - so that makes WiFi and immature technology not ready for the primtime - yes?
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07-09-2002, 02:32 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 110
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I think the real thought is that WiFi is moving along fast
WiFi may be moving fast enough to maybe get the jump on bluetooth? I know that doesn't make a lot of IPAQ people happy, but as more WiFi innovations come on board, that jump maybe more than we'd like to admit!
I for one like WiFi and am excited that all the products are starting to roll out. The keyboard; now a camera; it's only a matter of time and you would be able to do everything wireless WiFi....... 
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07-09-2002, 02:46 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Duncan
- but I had the devices connecting and was surfing the net within 20 minutes. Either I'm a genius or he's a moron!
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Neither. You were lucky and he wasn't. BT technology is a crapshoot right now. I saw two M515's with Palm Bluetooth cards that couldn't bond to each other a few weeks ago. It is just such a mess. Far worse than X/2-56KFlex modems. Worse than USB drivers ever thought about being. I cannot think of a computer technology that was designed to work together that has failed as miserably at its goal as bluetooth. Nothing. Not token-ring, ethernet, WiFi, IR, even Plug-and-play in Win95 was better than this. Heck, it was better in NT 3.51!
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07-09-2002, 02:50 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 255
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Ed,
I thought that you were going home ?!?!?! :wink:
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07-09-2002, 02:55 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jdhill
Ed,
I thought that you were going home ?!?!?! :wink:
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I am, but my WiFi connection makes it too easy to post this from my couch. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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07-09-2002, 03:14 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 725
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Re: I think the real thought is that WiFi is moving along fa
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Originally Posted by kaiden.1
WiFi may be moving fast enough to maybe get the jump on bluetooth? I know that doesn't make a lot of IPAQ people happy, but as more WiFi innovations come on board, that jump maybe more than we'd like to admit!
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Well, I think you have to split this up into long term and Short Term.
Short Term, I'm a Wi-Fi man (I just got my e740, Wi-Fi and two free slots, ladies and gentlemen, there is a god). Bluetooth still has too many bugs, it's range isn't as good, etc...
Long Term, I think Blue tooth will take over. The thing about Bluetooth is that the spec is heading in the right direction, easy configuration, connecting personal devices to each other rather than to a LAN, etc...
That being said, it is my hope that either Bluetooth will get better or a hybrid technology will be developed because I don't want to have to have bluetooth AND Wi-Fi built into my PDA so I can access both my LAN and my Cell. Phone
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07-09-2002, 04:25 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 83
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as much as i want it to work as promised, bluetooth is, in its current form, failed. i have an ericsson t68 and attempted to get some outlook synchronization going with a 3com usb bt dongle. after following one of the most ridiculous workaround sequences i have ever seen (courtesy of some dude from israel who had somewhat conquered the issue and posted his procedures on the newsgroups), i finally got it to synchronize. of course the sync rate was slower than IR, and it took several steps on the phone and the pc to get the relationship set up every time.
i have reverted to IR, though i have to say that the thought of the socket card in my jornada using thunderhawk to use the web over gprs is very tempting. which, btw, thunderhawk kicks ass and would be well worth $50 a year if voicestream could come correct with their iStream rates, but that's another issue entirely.
so, anyway, back to IR. i am settling for mere synchronization now, but i have to admit that even IR is giving me headaches. anyone had a good deal of success with any particular USB IR transmitter and XP driver? i am using some BAFO bu//$#!+ that i got at fry's and it is kinda hit and miss.
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