Is Bluetooth Dead?

An anonymous reader writes "According to the EETimes, Bluetooth is dead. From the article: "In a few short years, many will look back on Bluetooth as a lesson on marketing gone awry". So what do ya'll think? Does he have a point, or is Bluetooth not quite dead yet?"

Comments

Idiocy - bluetooth just taking off

[mccalli]

No idea about the States (I imagine most of the below applies), but certainly in Europe Bluetooth is really just taking off. It's not computers per se that are driving the uptake however, it's mobile phones.

Most of the medium to high-end phones sold now have Bluetooth capabilities. Even if this isn't used for more than connecting to a hands-free device, it's still a use of Bluetooth. The UK, for example, is about to introduce a law giving penalties to drivers caught using mobiles phone handsets themselves. The fines do not apply to certain hands-free devices, so an increase in Bluetooth car kits is foreseen.

Back to the computing front, and we're on to synchronisation. I understand a number of people are having hassle on the PC, however I imagine that will be fixced at some point. On the Mac bluetooth synchronisation is completely seamless - it is so totally transparent that I don't even think about it. Then there's file transfer - I use bluetooth to transfer photos and video clips off the phone (3650) to my laptop, and use bluetooth to transfer files back onto the phone (normally C64 games for use in an emulator).

The guy who wrote the article needs to get out more.

, Cheers,
Ian

Re:Idiocy - bluetooth just taking off

[Natalie's Hot Grits]

no.. you are wrong... many of the phones available in europe don't come for the US spectrum AT&T only has 1 (and 2 more on the way) here) GSM phones that do bluetooth, and its the largest phone you can buy physically, it also costs ~$300 unless you sign a 2 year contract. At least this is the case for AT&T Wireless.

So your statements that you can get what you get in europe here are wrong. You can't.

In the united states, you must purchase your phone from your provider. The handset companies hard code the default signal locator to the provider and it cannot be changed. This is the reason that in the US, you can't just buy a SIM card for your GSM phone like you can in europe, but must buy a whole new phone for each time you switch providers. Therefore, you are stuck with what your provider has. AT&T wireless (the largest GSM provider in the US) has a large selection of phones, but they certaintly have NOTHING compared to what is available in europe and asia. Not even close.

The handset companies have the US cellular companies strongarmed, and this isn't changing any time soon. Untill there is an act of congress to forbid this type of uncompetative behaviour by the MFG's, you will get stuck buying a new phone for each provider you change to, and worst yet, stuck with the small choice that your cellular provider carries.

On top of all this BS, you have to deal with 1-2 year contracts with each provider, or face the consequences of paying double on rate plans. Thank the 200$ commission per telephone activation for this $175 early termination fee. Most cellular companies don't recoup their costs until the 9th month of service on mid range rate plans. Because they have to eat the cost of the expensive phone (between 50-100 dollars is lost for every new phone sold) and because they are in such a ratrace to get marketshare, they pay (don't ask me why) $200-$300 in commissions per sale, the 1-2 year contracts are the only way to survive.

The fact that Sprint and Verison are split off into CDMA only networks really drives the last nail into the coffin for reasonably cost efficient cellular service and equipment in the US. Don't ask me what Sprint and verison plan on doing when all the other providers phase out all their TDMA transmitters the dual band CDMA phones use for roaming. Hell, in some states, its illegal to deploy CDMA because their towers must be placed too close together. heh.

It just shows you what marketing dollars and anti-competative behaviour can do to an over ignorant population.

Re:Not quite dead yet

[Davak]

Few FAQs for those BlueTooth newbies outthere...

BlueTooth Faq
Nokia BlueTooth Faq
Another BlueTooth Faq

Re:Apple

[Multics]

I second this motion. EE Times has missed the point. Adoption has been very sporadic as has the supporting software stack. Now with Apple Laptops supporting it with a single software stack it is likely to be what it originally promised to be. This is the difference between MS and Apple... Apple can lead in software by implmenting new hardware.

Now if Kyocera 7135 series II would support BlueTooth the world would be a cooler place!

-- Multics

Re:I use it everyday...

[geoffeg]

You can use the Sailing Clicker or Romeo. Great for presentations and locking your screen when you walk away from your machine (if you have your cell phone with you and walk out of range)..

Geoffeg

Interesting.

[Chardros]

I use bluetooth every day. I sync my PDA and my phone with my laptop. I connect to the internet via my cell phone (gprs) from my laptop and pda while on the road. I use my bluetooth headset while on the run. When I climb in my car, my cell phone negotiates with my bluetooth car kit, and incoming calls mute my stereo, and come over the in-car speaker... even if I forget to cradle my phone. It's thought free.

Bluetooth has made a lot of things simpler for me. If 802.11 replaces all those applications, great. But for what it was intended, bluetooth seems to be doing a fine job for me.

Compliments not Competes with 802.11

[ebresie]

I think he misses the point. He indicates that one of the reasons its dying is because 802.11x related products out doing the bluetooth products.

One thing he fails to mention is that bluetooth is intended for short distances not long distances like 802.11. Because of this, the power requirements are much less, which means you can use the bluetooth products without replacing batteries or recharging for much longer periods of time.

I will admit, I have no bluetooth, but I look forward to a new phone with bluetooth capabilities possible.

Re:Bluetooth is dead...

[cmowire]

Not necessarily.

The biggest problem with Bluetooth is that it came out at the same time as Wifi. However, it does have many advantages over other technologies.

In the wireless space, you've got IrDA, Wifi, Bluetooth, and special purpose protocols (like your cordless phone)

IrDA is obnoxious and doesn't work especially well. You have to align things in order to make it work.

Special purpose protocols can conflict with each other and only do what they were intended for.

Wifi is great, but it has all of the baggage of TCP/IP, quite a lot of power consumption, and is designed to connect complete devices. Wifi isn't meant to attach your keyboard to your desktop, for example.

Bluetooth's real applications are for situations where you don't want to deal with cables and are on lowered power requirements. Wireless keyboards and mice, except that you don't need to think about the base station (thus being able to use one brand's wireless keyboard and another's mouse). Synching your PDA without needing the cradle. Connecting a GPS to your PDA without cables. Connecting your PDA and cellphone without cables. None of these will work especially well wireless using anything but bluetooth.