Bluetooth And Apple

The new Apple powerbook G4 are among the first computers to offer Bluetooth technology 2.0+EDR.

The 2.0+EDR technology, which still backwards compatible with 1.0, is up to three times faster

than previous versions, offering maximum data rate transfers of up to 3 MBps. Being the first company

to certify a system with 2.0+EDR, Apple continues to make great use of the Bluetooth technology.

Full support In addition to the powerbook G4 portables, there are other Bluetooth enabled computers available

from Apple, including the iBook, iMac G5, eMac, and the Power Mac G5. Making life easier

When you turn the Bluetooth feature on, your Mac can easily perform a file transfer or even a

synchronization. From the Bluetooth selection menu, you can choose to either send a file or

browse devices, quickly and easily. Or, you can click the sync button in iSync to update your

cell phone or Palm OS handheld. The Mac and GSM/GPRS mobile phone with Bluetooth

work to make each other more useful. By using iSync, you can keep your phone updated without

having to type any info, as you can keep the information in the more manageable address book

on your Mac instead. You can also use your Bluetooth enabled Mac to print documents and digital images to select a

printer that also supports the technology of Bluetooth. Or, you can also use a headset to

talk to your friends during an iChat session. Your Mac also has the ability to use Bluetooth

technology to communicate with your Palm OS handheld. This way, you can perform a HotSync

operation without using any cables. You can also  send your business card or calendar events directly

to someone else’s handheld usingthe technology of Bluetooth.

The implementation of Bluetooth by Apple is the latest in a series of moves that have caused

great shift in the computer industry. Apple established USB as the standard interface with

the launching of the first Mac back in 1998. Since then, Apple established the 802.11 wireless standard of 

 

networking with the launch of the iBook and AirPort in 1999. During 2003, Apple launched AirPort Extreme, 

 

which was based on the new 802.11g high speed technology of wireless.

Now, Bluetooth helps to further strengthen the dominant position of the Mac in wireless communications, helping

 

to preserve Apple’s  reputation for being the first to market with innovative technology that integrates right into

the operating system.

Advantages And Disadvantages

Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an increasingly difficult market place. Bluetooth helps to bring

with it the promise of freedom from the cables and simplicity in networking that has yet to be 

matched by LAN (Local Area Network).

In the key marketplace, of wireless and handheld devices, the closest competitor to Bluetooth is

infrared. Infrared holds many key features, although the line of sight it provides doesn’t go

through walls or through obstacles like that of the Bluetooth technology.

Unlike infrared, Bluetooth isn’t a line of sight and it provides ranges of up to 100 meters. Bluetooth

is also low power and low processing with an overhead protocol. What this means, is that it’s

ideal for integration into small battery powered devices. To put it short, the applications with

Bluetooth are virtually endless. Disadvantages Bluetooth has several positive features and one

would be extremely hard pressed to find downsides when given the current competition. The only 

real downsides are the data rate and security. Infrared can have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which 

provides very fast rates for data transfer, while Bluetooth only offers 1 MBps.

For this very reason, infrared has yet to be dispensed with completely and is considered by

many to be the complimentary technology to that of Bluetooth. Infrared has inherent security due

to its line of sight.  The greater range and radio frequency (RF) of  Bluetooth make it much more 

open to interception and attack. For this reason, security is a very key aspect to the Bluetooth 

specification.

Although there are very few disadvantages, Bluetooth still remains the best for short range wireless

technology. 

Those who have tried it love it, and they know for a fact that Bluetooth will be around for years to come.