While Apple's implementation (finally) of bluetooth will be nice, I damn well hope it supports the totally unused cardbus slot in my powerbook. I DONT WANT A USB DONGLE!!!
Would I be able to share a cable modem internet connection with my PC laptop using this without an airport card (I have an orinoco card for my laptop)? The requirements for the thing do not include an airport card, and it says it can go mac to mac. What do you guys think?
<strong>Would I be able to share a cable modem internet connection with my PC laptop using this without an airport card (I have an orinoco card for my laptop)? The requirements for the thing do not include an airport card, and it says it can go mac to mac. What do you guys think?</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, your Orinoco card is a 802.11b device (Airport, WiFi). Bluetooth is an entirely different standard and is not intended for wireless LAN use such as you are talking about. It is a low powered, low bandwidth technology intended to provide a link between relatively "dumb" devices without a lot of processing power or software support. Things like cell phones, electronics, and appliances even.
I don't think Bluetooth will be dongle-based for long. Eventually Apple will probably build it into the logicboard of all their machines. A USB dongle sticking out is just so un-Apple-like. The included mouse and keyboards will then evolve into wireless devices as well.
"so un-Apple-like" is the truest statement I've heard thus far regarding the USB Bluetooth dongle.
Therefore, it will most certainly be included with the next revision of the Powerbook, followed by the next revisions of the other 3 sectors of the "quad."
The USB dongle thing is simply a marketing device for front-loading this new Bluetooth thing. Make the current Mac-users and Mac-owners happy to be able to jump on the bandwagon so that they're not so pissed when they find out that it's going to come standard -- and invisible -- in all Macs very soon.
Powerbooks first, though -- it's a perfect addition to an already wireless work of beauty.
Imagine using a Powerbook at a coffee shop with a wireless trackball and keyboard, using Airport reception to access the internet. I can't imagine anything giving me such a weightless feeling besides "the little blue pill."
Ah, pills...
-- PEte
[Edit: removed various unintentional instances of the word "penis" ]
Bluetooth gets speeds more like 56kbps. It's a little more complicated then that, so here's<a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth5.htm"; target="_blank">how it works.</a>
But you gotta remember, that's a lot faster than a cellular modem will go anyway.
Bluetooth really seems like unneccessary crap. What does it do that airport doesn't? Besides add another standard to the mix?
OK so it's low power (and possibly better for phones), and it snoops around for other devices to talk to. I'm not really sure I want or need that. Airport is fast enough to be a usefull networking system (about USB 1.1 speed). Bluetooth can't even keep up with the fastest wireless internet protocol (not available stateside anyway, but...) really quite useless for streaming media of any kind. I don't see the point???
matsu, go to macworld.com, and search through andy inahtko's columns over the past year for "bluetooth." he's probably got the best take on it (albeit through a tad over-the-top style), but he does a better job of explaining why bluetooth is something to embrace than others i have read, and certainly better than i ever could.
[edit] aw heck, i'll save you the search trouble and just post the link...
matsu, go to macworld.com, and search through andy inahtko's columns over the past year for "bluetooth." he's probably got the best take on it (albeit through a tad over-the-top style), but he does a better job of explaining why bluetooth is something to embrace than others i have read, and certainly better than i ever could.
Doesn't sound all that usefull. The universal greet and meet that bluetooth brings shoud be interesting. What about security?
I guess it'd be good for the stuff irDA never really took off for: stuff like synching/exchanging contact info. Also would be good for cell phones, wireless mice and keyboards. It'd be good to have a universal standard for all that. But it's still relatively minor stuff.
Comments
<strong>Would I be able to share a cable modem internet connection with my PC laptop using this without an airport card (I have an orinoco card for my laptop)? The requirements for the thing do not include an airport card, and it says it can go mac to mac. What do you guys think?</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, your Orinoco card is a 802.11b device (Airport, WiFi). Bluetooth is an entirely different standard and is not intended for wireless LAN use such as you are talking about. It is a low powered, low bandwidth technology intended to provide a link between relatively "dumb" devices without a lot of processing power or software support. Things like cell phones, electronics, and appliances even.
Therefore, it will most certainly be included with the next revision of the Powerbook, followed by the next revisions of the other 3 sectors of the "quad."
The USB dongle thing is simply a marketing device for front-loading this new Bluetooth thing. Make the current Mac-users and Mac-owners happy to be able to jump on the bandwagon so that they're not so pissed when they find out that it's going to come standard -- and invisible -- in all Macs very soon.
Powerbooks first, though -- it's a perfect addition to an already wireless work of beauty.
Imagine using a Powerbook at a coffee shop with a wireless trackball and keyboard, using Airport reception to access the internet. I can't imagine anything giving me such a weightless feeling besides "the little blue pill."
Ah, pills...
-- PEte
[Edit: removed various unintentional instances of the word "penis" ]
[ 03-21-2002: Message edited by: CoolHandPete ]</p>
Pills....
802.11b gets approximately usb speeds.
Bluetooth gets speeds more like 56kbps. It's a little more complicated then that, so here's<a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/bluetooth5.htm"; target="_blank">how it works.</a>
But you gotta remember, that's a lot faster than a cellular modem will go anyway.
pi
OK so it's low power (and possibly better for phones), and it snoops around for other devices to talk to. I'm not really sure I want or need that. Airport is fast enough to be a usefull networking system (about USB 1.1 speed). Bluetooth can't even keep up with the fastest wireless internet protocol (not available stateside anyway, but...) really quite useless for streaming media of any kind. I don't see the point???
[edit] aw heck, i'll save you the search trouble and just post the link...
<a href="http://www.macworld.com/2001/08/opinion/ihnatko.html"; target="_blank">http://www.macworld.com/2001/08/opinion/ihnatko.html</a>;
[ 03-24-2002: Message edited by: rok ]</p>
Doesn't sound all that usefull. The universal greet and meet that bluetooth brings shoud be interesting. What about security?
I guess it'd be good for the stuff irDA never really took off for: stuff like synching/exchanging contact info. Also would be good for cell phones, wireless mice and keyboards. It'd be good to have a universal standard for all that. But it's still relatively minor stuff.
Am I mumbling?