What's the advantage of Bluetooth?

[Kwad Guy]

I was trying to explain to someone at work the advantages of bluetooth over 801.11b (and variants), and realized I couldn't come up with many. Bluetooth uses less power, so I guess that makes it more desirable for low power portable devices (personal organizers, phones). But bluetooth is slow as molasses compared to 801.11x (1mbps vs. 10mbps or faster). I suppose bluetooth is better set up for ad hoc networking, but I've done ad hoc networking with a couple of 801.11x devices.

So what is the real value of bluetooth outside of being able to communicate with the (so far extremely limited) number of devices that incorporate it?

Kwad

 

[addragyn]

It may help if you think of bluetooth as wireless USB & 802.11 as wireless ethernet.

I haven't seen much with it on PCs but I've read about lots of Mac users using it with iCal and the T681i phone. You can also use a Bluetooth heaset with the phone. Everything I've read has been glowing praise, but that could just be website owners trying to drive comissions from Amazon. The lady who runs cubeowner.com seems like good people and has plugged that phone a few times. I don't really see the need but I'm not a PDA person either.

HTH

 

[Kwad Guy]

Hmmm...I like that analogy...Bluetooth = wireless USB, 801.11x = wireless ethernet. I like that a lot!

Kwad

 

[addragyn]

Another way might be to think of it as personal wireless. A wireless network for your devices.

I'm suprised to see you asking Kwad. You're usually the one answering!

The phone is a T68i not T681i.

Bluetooth phone as computer remote

I can't believe I forgot to mention Clicker! Check out the video on that page. There is some other Bluetooth related SW on that page. It's cool to see indivduals making useful, quality SW.


Bluetooth store

You can see al kinds of bluetooth stuff here. http://www.blueunplugged.com/ As you can see completely different devices than 802.11. It also shows that the rest of the world is stil way ahead of America in consumer mobile tech.