The Second Coming of Bluetooth

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,1653,41334,FF.html">http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,1653,41334,FF.html</a><br /><br />Cheap Bluetooth chipsets are finally available, so this may be the shot in the arm that Bluetooth needed. I personally think that when Microsoft introduces their Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo set, it will be a watershed event in the world of Bluetooth - assuming that it works properly of course. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif" /><br /><br />"In its infancy, Bluetooth was plagued by the kinds of problems that are often associated with software introductions: delayed rollouts, buggy technology, and dodgy demos. A bigger roadblock to Bluetooth's early adoption, however, was its cost. Many analysts blame the relatively high price of Bluetooth chips for the technology's slow adoption rate. In an industry where cash-strapped wireless carriers already subsidize new phones in order to lower costs for consumers, Bluetooth's initial chip set -- priced at $10 and up -- was simply too expensive.<br /><br />But now all that may be changing. Texas Instruments recently introduced its BRF6100 chip, which will be available to handset makers in the first quarter of 2003. Priced at just under $4, the new chip is nearly 60 percent cheaper than earlier versions. Motorola (MOT) is also preparing to integrate low-cost, efficient Bluetooth technology in its own chip designs later this year."

[don dre]

Here here on the wireless mouse/keyboard combo. Does anyone have a release date? Maybe if the carriers didn;t have to spend so much money on getting new subscribers they could spend more on infrastructure. How likelt to switch are you? is it due to competing offers on phones or is the quality and price of service most important?

[Ed Hansberry]

The second coming? I am still waiting for the first coming of blewtooth, unless you count its first appearance where it walked out on stage, tripped and fell down the stairs. :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

The second coming? I am still waiting for the first coming of blewtooth, unless you count its first appearance where it walked out on stage, tripped and fell down the stairs. :roll:

Heh. :twisted: Working on a counter-point rant now...

[st63z]

I personally think that when Microsoft introduces their Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo set, it will be a watershed event in the world of Bluetooth - assuming that it works properly of course.

Given my lack of hands-on BT experience, I've been wondering how things such as BT keyboard/mouse/headset will work. Would they all have LCD screens and keypads that let you choose which other BT devices to communicate with? Or is it like a first-come, first-served with the other BT devices controlling the connection? Or do they just come with specific bundled BT transceiver base stations that they can only communicate with (in which case it kinda defeats the purpose of using BT to begin with as they might just as well stick to proprietary one-to-one RF wireless).

I mean, if you have two adjacent PCs with Bluetooth transceivers and you have MS keyboard/mouse in the middle, how do you specify which PC it will connect to?