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.