Bluetooth finally has some teeth–you can now buy a few dozen products using this new standard for short-range wireless networking.
But there’s a distinct “not ready for prime time” feel to this first batch of Bluetooth hardware; the products are too expensive and, as I discovered firsthand, there are problems making them work together.
It’s hard to describe Bluetooth to the uninitiated. At the most basic level, it’s a set of standards for using low-power radio transmitter/receivers to connect all kinds of electronic devices, including computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, printers, cordless headsets and even digital cameras.
The technical rules for how this works are set by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (www.bluetooth.com), with backing from corporate heavyweights including Ericcson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, 3Com and Toshiba.
Bluetooth uses the 2.4-gigahertz frequency, the same as newer cordless phones and the wireless computer networking standard known as Wi-Fi or 802.11b.
What’s exciting about Bluetooth is the hope it will become the convergence point for all kinds of electronic information and entertainment devices.
Bluetooth is slower and has less range than Wi-Fi: a maximum data transmission rate of 1 megabit per second compared with 11 megabits per second for Wi-Fi; most Bluetooth devices operate over a range of just 30 feet, while Wi-Fi goes as far as 300 feet.
But Bluetooth chips require far less electricity than Wi-Fi and, at least in theory, will become much less expensive. These are crucial advantages in adding wireless capability to devices such as hand-held computers and mobile phones. Wi-Fi drains too much power and adds too much to manufacturing costs for pocket-size gadgets.
Early days in the bubble
Bluetooth almost failed before it got started because of excessive hype in the waning days of the dot-com bubble that burst in early 2001. Many promises were made for widespread availability of Bluetooth-enabled devices in 2000 and then 2001, without anything actually happening.
It wasn’t until early this year that a significant number of Bluetooth devices reached the market. Today there is at least one Bluetooth-enabled product in almost every category originally hyped for Bluetooth.
You can now or will be able within a few months to buy ultra-lightweight cordless headsets for Bluetooth-enabled phones, Bluetooth adapters for every type of hand-held, PC Cards and USB adapters for adding Bluetooth to notebook and desktop computers, and adapters for printers. There are also Bluetooth access points that plug into a wired network for sharing Internet access.
Put all these devices together and you can imagine all kinds of interesting possibilities.
With a Bluetooth headset, for example, you could leave a mobile phone in your briefcase or purse and answer incoming calls just by tapping a button on the headset nestled on your ear.
With a Bluetooth hand-held in a hospital equipped with Bluetooth access points, doctors and nurses could view medical records and write patient reports on the spot.
At home, a Bluetooth digital camera could transmit pictures to a Bluetooth-equipped computer without plugging in any cables.
If the demand for Bluetooth grows large enough, the cost for adding Bluetooth capability to a “smart” device such as a mobile phone, hand-held or personal computer could drop as low as $5–low enough for Bluetooth to become almost universal.
That’s the rosy vision. Here’s the hard reality.
Today, Bluetooth is still an expensive and limited option. There are only a handful of mobile phones with built-in Bluetooth; I could find only one being sold in the United States, the Sony Ericsson T68 at $199 from AT&T Wireless.
Bluetooth headsets cost about $200–a huge premium for getting rid of a slender wire, considering corded headsets sell for under $50.
Quirks still in the system
Bluetooth modules for PDAs cost more than $100. Setting up a wireless computer network with Bluetooth would cost two or three times as much as Wi-Fi.
I tried Bluetooth at home by borrowing a PC Card and USB adapter from 3Com, along with a printer adapter from Epson. I installed the USB adapter on an HP Pavilion desktop computer running Windows XP and the PC Card went into the slot of my Compaq Presario laptop running Windows 98 Second Edition. I stuck the printer adapter on the parallel port of an Epson Stylus Photo 890 inkjet printer.
The 3Com adapters installed smoothly and both told me–through an on-screen window displayed by a 3Com program called “Bluetooth Connection Manager”–that they recognized the presence of the Epson 890 printer.
But the act of printing wasn’t as easy. I could print from the laptop, but kept getting a false error message telling me the computer couldn’t find the printer.
I did succeed in moving files back and forth between the two computers via Bluetooth, but the pace was sluggish.
What does all this mean for consumers?
I’d stay away from Bluetooth for now, given the expense and hassles involved in becoming an early adopter. Instead, I’d give Bluetooth backers another year to iron out compatibility headaches and deliver products at reasonable prices.
Products here or on the way:
Here is a look at some of the Bluetooth hardware that’s available or due shortly.
Company: Apple Computer (www.apple.com)
Product: D-Link DWB-120M USB adapter
Price: $49
Notes: Manufactured for Apple by D-Link (www.dlink.com) and sold only through Apple’s Web site, the adapter adds Bluetooth connectivity to any Macintosh running the new OS X operating system.
Company: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (www.sonyericsson.com/us)
Product: T68 mobile phone
Price: $199
Notes: A wireless phone with built-in Bluetooth connectivity for cordless headsets and for synchronizing with Bluetooth-enabled computers; available through AT&T Wireless.
Company: Compaq (www.compaq.com/ipaq)
Product: iPaq Pocket PC H3870
Price: $649
Notes: A personal digital assistant, running Microsoft’s Pocket PC software, with built-in Bluetooth connectivity.
Company: Motorola (www.motorola.com)
Product: 98405 wireless headset/99332 phone module
Price: $199/$109
Notes: The phone module adds Bluetooth connectivity to the Motorola Timeport 270c wireless phone–for now, the only Motorola phone that works with the company’s Bluetooth headset.
Company: Epson America (www.epson.com/bluetooth)
Product: C1200BT print adapter
Price: $129
Notes: A module that plugs into a printer’s parallel port. Works with five current Epson color inkjet printer models and 12 older models.
Company: IBM (www.ibm.com/thinkpad)
Product: Thinkpad A30p notebook computer
Price: $3,349
Notes: A notebook computer with built-in Bluetooth connectivity; also available in the A31p model. Other notebook makers offering built-in Bluetooth on some models include Compaq and Toshiba.
Company: Logitech (www.logitech.com)
Product: Cordless Presenter
Price: $199
Notes: A Bluetooth mouse, due in early May with built-in laser pointer for making presentations; the user can be up to 30 feet away from the computer. Comes with a USB receiver for computers that don’t already have Bluetooth.
Company: Pico Communications (www.picocommunications.com)
Product: PicoBlue Internet Access Point
Price: $495
Notes: When plugged into a wired network, the access point creates a wireless Internet connection for Bluetooth devices within a 100-meter radius.
Company: Hewlett-Packard (http://products.hp-at-home.com)
Product: 995c inkjet printer
Price: $399
Notes: A color inkjet printer with built-in Bluetooth connectivity.
Company: Sony (www.sonystyle.com)
Product: DCR-IP7BT digital video camcorder
Price: $1,599
Notes: A tiny camcorder, weighing just 12 ounces with battery, with an external Bluetooth adapter for directly transferring still pictures or short video clips to the Internet.
Company: Plantronics (www.plantronics.com)
Product: M1500 headset
Price: $199
Notes: Due in early summer, this Bluetooth headset comes with a tiny base unit that plugs into any mobile phone with a standard headset jack.
Company: Palm (www.palm.com)
Product: SD card adapter
Price: $129
Notes: Adds Bluetooth connectivity to Palm model i705, m515, m505, m500, m130 and m125 personal digital assistants. Bluetooth adapters from other manufacturers are available for Palm V models and for the Handspring Visor.
Company: 3Com (www.3com.com)
Product: 3CRWB6096 PC Card adapter/3CREB96 USB adapter
Price: $124/$124
Notes: A PC card adapter for adding Bluetooth to notebook computers and an external USB adapter for adding Bluetooth to desktop computers.
Source: San Jose Mercury News
