MS to ship Bluetooth hardware, mouse, keyboard

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.theregus.com/content/54/24682.html">http://www.theregus.com/content/54/24682.html</a><br /><br />Looks like Bluetooth is getting a helping hand from Microsoft - and this is one Bluetooth product that I'd likely buy because I'd have confidence in it working.<br /><br />"Microsoft will finally take the plunge into Bluetooth later this year, when it begins shipping a USB Bluetooth transceiver, keyboard and mouse. The tranceiver will be able to handle up to seven Bluetooth devices, and this plus the inclusion of Bluetooth support in Windows XP means that Bluetooth is finally arriving in the PC world. <br /><br />The company proposes that the transceiver will allow users to set up their own Personal Area Network (PAN), consisting of PCs, PDAs, printers, mobile phones and input devices. This kind of stuff was indeed part of the original Bluetooth planning (then termed piconets), but in that case the thinking was more PDA-centric, the notion being that your devices would ineract and network with other devices as you wandered around the world, whereas Microsoft seems to be pitching more in the cable replacement area." Source: Alex Kac

[Bob S]

Does that mean your bluetooth mouse / keyboard etc. Could then work with your desktop and PocketPC as well? :?:

[Jason Dunn]

Does that mean your bluetooth mouse / keyboard etc. Could then work with your desktop and PocketPC as well? :?:


If Compaq were to update their Bluetooth stack to include profiles for these devices, for sure! Will that happen? Unknown. 8)

[innersky]

finally!
I was starting to loose my belief in bluetooth, but when MS comes out with this, it might go mainstream.

[Will T Smith]

Does that mean your bluetooth mouse / keyboard etc. Could then work with your desktop and PocketPC as well? :?:


Yes it could. Though, a Bluetooth profile for "keyboard" must be defined to ensure interoperability across devices.

I don't believe that it's currently in the spec, however, I'm sure it will be implemented.

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Back to the topic. I hope this will finally demonstrate to ignorant analysts exactly WHY Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are NOT competitors.

An interoperable wireless desktop is a sparkling example of bluetooth's intended function. It's basically wireless USB.

Scenario:
HP has released a Bluetooth enable printer. Is this to enable handhelds to print. Well no, not for now because PocketPC still doesn't have native printing support. Imagine that you could place your printer across the room, or share it with someone in the NEXT room. No wires.

That's flexibility. That's plug & play. Especially when your friend with the laptop visits and wants to print something out. He needn't even connect to your network. He can communicate DIRECTLY with the printer via Bluetooth.

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In general. 802.11x protocols have a ways to go. They broadcast WAY to much in a VERY INSECURE way. Bluetooth's inherent short range communication makes it inherintely more secure for personal networking. Add to that that it's encryption and connection protocols ACTUALLY ARE SECURE.

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It will be very cool when one Bluetooth transciever can host a Logitech Keyboard, a Microsoft Mouse, a Belkin Joystick, an HP Printer, a Compaq PDA, a Kodak Camera .... all wirelessly.

This level of integration can NEVER be achieved with 802.11b as the chipsets are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE to embed into peripherals like pointers, and cameras.

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Now, let's get on with the Blue Revolution ...

[Jne]

:D

Yoooooohoooooooooo !!!! This is exactely what I've been wainting for : MS to support BT with software AND hardware !!
This is an historic day (at least for me ;))!

A wireless addict,

[JonathanWardRogers]

:x Why can microsoft support bluetooth peripherals in WinCE but not USB!?!?!?!?

Here we have what? 4, 5 Pocket PCs either out or coming out with USB host ports (more so far than those that have built in bluetooth), and those of us who own them don't even get a !*@%^*!! mouse cursor when plugging in a mouse!

Sorry. I'm just a little frustrated right now.

[st63z]

I also want a Bluetooth Soundbug (and make it even smaller and unobtrusive).

And an all-in-one BT stereo headset or mono earset with earphone(s), boomless mic, and laser diode(s) shooting onto your retina(s) ala TekWar/E:FC. It would have to be Bluetooth v3.0 (with 500mbps bandwidth), though...

And BT virtual air keyboard/mouse gloves. Actually this would work great with the eye-shooting laser to enable a new 3D virtual interface paradigm (again ala TekWar/E:FC)...

On a more serious note, does anyone have a pic or the specs for this BT mouse? I'm still waiting for a good wireless optical mouse that looks like Microsoft's Optical IntelliMouse (the symmetrical-designed one with left/right back/forward buttons and which doesn't have a hugely bulbous butt like the painful IntelliMouse Explorer). The Optical IntelliMouse's texture and surface make-up also feels JUST perfect for me. Logitech's Cordless MouseMan Optical is kinda OK (a bit too shallow), but I miss the right-side forward button.

[Daniel]

ok, I want one of these now. Not to mention the new Toshiba e550G, damn that rocks.

Daniel

[Rob Alexander]

8) This is SO cool! Finally a total wireless solution on the horizon. BT may have succeeded even without MS's support, but it would have been much slower and more haphazard. With MS pushing it, things will move along nicely and we'll probably have genuine desktop / PPC bluetooth connectivity in the next generation of PPCs.

[Duncan]

With Sony having BT built in to more and more laptops, Palms and Pocket PCs having BT built in or easily available, one BT printer and two more on the way, an Ericsson bigwig saying that they anticipate BT being in ALL their new models within the year, some desktop PCs getting BT bulit in DESPIT the lack of innate support from MS, several digicams getting BT built in etc. - I'd say this move from MS will mean BT will snowball!

Come to think of it - if MS is getting involved with BT now - do they know something we don't?!!

[st63z]

This might not be the right place to ask, but with easier use of multiple input devices (via USB or Bluetooth or whatnot), I was wondering whether it's possible to load multiple enhanced input device drivers in Windows? For example, loading Logitech's MouseWare/iTouch software and Microsoft's IntelliPoint/IntelliType software simultaneously (say, I'm using a MS wireless desktop mouse *and* a Logitech TrackMan Live or Cordless Presenter handheld controller).

IIRC, the last time I tried this, the software I installed last replaced the previous one so only one was active at a time... I think the rest of the devices would use the generic Windows HID or PS/2 driver, but I could be wrong (for example, if MouseWare is loaded, maybe it covers all mouse-type devices in use?).

[Daniel]

It's about time people started using BT, it's an excellent technology. The complaints about compatibility problems with go away because as demand goes up these issues will have to be resolved.

Daniel

[Take1]

Any mention of the proposed cost of getting this bluetooth hub?