TDK bluePAQ Sleeve Reviewed at MaximumPDA

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.maximumpda.com/maximumpda_more.php?id=725_0_2_0_C' target='_blank'>http://www.maximumpda.com/maximumpd...?id=725_0_2_0_C</a><br /><br /></div>"Bluetooth (short range, radio frequency communication standard for wireless connectivity) has quickly become a standard for device connectivity. By using a Bluetooth compatible device, you can wirelessly connect to a wide range of other devices including mobile phones, headphones, speakers, modems, access points, GPS, PDA, keyboards, laptop and desktop computers, etc. New Bluetooth compatible devices are constantly being introduced. Of course in order to make use of all this wireless capability, your main device, in this case a PocketPC, needs to have Bluetooth ability."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/MP580707.gif" /><br /> <br />Let's see - you can get this sleeve for $179 USD, or a whole new iPAQ with Bluetooth for about $100 more. Doesn't this product seem about a year too late to really matter?

[Jonathan1]

IMHO BlueTooth is one of those technologies that wasn't meant to be sleeved. Its such a minor technology that it should be in the device itself. That being said I guess there is a legit reason to get it if you have an older device and REALLY need BT ASAP. There are instances, large companies penny pinching, where the extra $100 isn't an option. *shrugs* Its nice to have options I guess.

PS - Hmm maybe the range is better on the sleeve then having it built in.

[DubWireless]

Let's see - you can get this sleeve for $179 USD, or a whole new iPAQ with Bluetooth for about $100 more. Doesn't this product seem about a year too late to really matter?

absolutely - although it's been available for over 18 months at this stage (released Feb '02) so was aimed more at pre-bluetooth integrated iPAQs:
http://www.tdksystems.com/corporate/press/content.asp?id=33

.

[Warwick]

Yeh its been around for a long while, but what we need now are some useful devices to take bluetooth to the next level. IE: Keyboard(not a device limited one thanks MS), Headphones. Oh forgot to mention At a resonable price (not 5 times more than the equal non bluetooth thanks MS)..

Those two things for me would finish my blue(wish)list

[hollis_f]

I bought one of these for my 3850 back in March 2002. At the time it was a great piece of kit - it didn't suffer from the horrible bugs of the Compaq sleeve and it looked infinitely cooler. Of course it wasn't as good as integrated BT, but that was not something I was interested in when I bought the iPAQ.

IMNSHO it was a great example of how Compaq's sleeve philosophy should have been implemented. The driver was included in a small amount of flash memory embedded in the sleeve, so installation just required plugging in. The BT software was the easiest to use of any I've encountered on the PPC. Oh - and did I mention that it looks fantastic?

As for the price - even here in rip-off Britain ((c) Murdoch Press) it's only £52 (plus tax).

If I were a 3x50 owner who wanted a CF slot and BT then I'd seriously consider this as an option - even now.

[Eciton]

Yeah, I reviewed (http://www.brighthand.com/article/TDK_BluePAQ) it back in October last year.

It's still a good piece of kit, especially at the low prices for which it can be bought today.

The only usability problem which I've found - and it's a major one - is that none of the many other Bluetooth devices that I've used have been able to poll the BluePAQ's services. In the case of my desktop machine, that means I basically can't use it: if no services are found, then no services can be used (file transfer, etc). I don't know whether this is just me, but I've tried about ten other devices with it and also upgraded the drivers. *shrug*.

[dhpss]

I thought STK came out long time ago (PPC year..) the BT sleeve with 1 CF slot and battery built-in. That would be more interesting.
Rightnow you can get a iPaq CF sleeve at next to nothing (or better PCMCIA sleeve with built-in battery and the CF BT is only $49.

[AKBishop]

Dual Bluetooth in your 5400/5500 iPAQs. After all, two is better than one, right? :bangin:

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I thought STK came out long time ago (PPC year..) the BT sleeve with 1 CF slot and battery built-in. That would be more interesting.
Rightnow you can get a iPaq CF sleeve at next to nothing (or better PCMCIA sleeve with built-in battery and the CF BT is only $49.
Right. For maximum flexibility, I'd just go with a regular CF sleeve and a Socket BT card. Going with any integrated BT sleeve solution basically marries you to the iPaq form factor in terms of the BT option.

[hollis_f]

I thought STK came out long time ago (PPC year..) the BT sleeve with 1 CF slot and battery built-in. That would be more interesting.
Rightnow you can get a iPaq CF sleeve at next to nothing (or better PCMCIA sleeve with built-in battery and the CF BT is only $49.
Right. For maximum flexibility, I'd just go with a regular CF sleeve and a Socket BT card. Going with any integrated BT sleeve solution basically marries you to the iPaq form factor in terms of the BT option.
Problem with that is that you can't then use the CF slot for memory. If one of your planned BT uses is GPS you're gonna want some large storage capacity for the maps. And getting a CF sleeve plus socket BT is gonna cost almost twice as much as the integrated solution.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Right. For maximum flexibility, I'd just go with a regular CF sleeve and a Socket BT card. Going with any integrated BT sleeve solution basically marries you to the iPaq form factor in terms of the BT option.
Problem with that is that you can't then use the CF slot for memory. If one of your planned BT uses is GPS you're gonna want some large storage capacity for the maps. And getting a CF sleeve plus socket BT is gonna cost almost twice as much as the integrated solution.
You're right, but my premise (which I didn't mention) was that the user would want to go with the cheapest solution while still adding BT connectivity. If the assumption is that they want a CF slot for memory AND BT, then this suggested TDK sleeve is not even an option, right? They would either have to upgrade to a new device or get a BT-integrated CF sleeve, which is not cheap, either.