Microsoft Intellimice and Bluetooth Issues?

An anonymous reader asks: "I just bought a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer for Bluetooth for my Mac OS X 2.2 box. Like typical Mac fashion, it was entirely plug and play, no software required. However, I go to pair the mouse with the adapter in Bluetooth prefs and it asks me for a pairing password! Others on XP SP1 using integrated/third party adapters other than the one provided by Microsoft also report the same pairing password (on a side note, the MS adapter doesn't even pair with most Palms or Cellphones, what kind of standards following is that?). I called MS tech support and they gave me a weak 'It doesn't work on the Mac.' reply. So, has anyone managed to get this mouse to work on OS X, Linux, or XP (SP1 with a third party adapter)? Perhaps a cracked security password?"

Comments

Re:Geez, a MS mouse works only on windows.

[sofar]

You are being obnoxious, and the statements you are making are false.

Mocrosoft mice (USB, I have several) apparently even function better the the competitors (Logitech) when it comes to cross-platform support. The dang logitech mice will not work with KVM switches and multiboot linux/NT/2K systems, but the stupid M$ logo on my mice will not refrain me from buying them anymore.

If M$ is abusing the USB protocol, IMO they are abandoning the standard and should not be allowed to sell their mice anymore as "USB mice", just as mutilated anti-copy CD's are officially not allowed to wear the "Compact Disc (R)" logo.

Password

[wanderb]

Have you tried four zeros (0000)? It's the standard security code for most bluetooth devices.

Re:Geez, a MS mouse works only on windows.

[SmallFurryCreature]

I didn't think about. That is the way an article on the register explained it. It was something like you had to link the two together with a password. So the computer/telephone/host detects a new pheriphal/client and asks you to enter a password before allowing it to continue.

Anyway here is a link http://80211b.weblogger.com/2002/08/01 wich explains it just as unclearly.

Don't shoot the messenger.

The problem is...

[vrmlguy]

The problem is, Bluetooth devices in general just don't interoperate. See, for example, the article PC, Mac OS updates may spark Bluetooth:

"For Microsoft to take the existing state of Bluetooth and embed it into XP would just be begging for trouble," said Martin Reynolds, an analyst at Gartner, in Stamford, Conn. "Bluetooth interoperability is a complete disaster ... by and large, one Bluetooth device is not going to work with another Bluetooth device, because the specifications don't work. We need someone to take the lead with this thing and fix it."

Also, see Wi-Fi News: News for 8/1/2002:

Note also how casual the Bluetooth folk are about certifying interoperable: it's more like the regular meetings of Esperanto speakers arguing on the fine points of the language -- or perhaps Unitarians -- than, say, the Academie Français. That is, certification to Bluetooth is left up the individual company's testing procedures. This is unfortunate, as the Wi-Fi mark has been one of the single biggest factors in coalescing the 802.11b protocol into something that businesses and consumers can rely on. Bluetooth will sputter if interoperability certification doesn't become one of the requirements of the mark. No consumer will want to use Bluetooth if buying two or more identically marked devices doesn't offer complete intercompatibility.