Bluetooth - is it just me?

[Onan the Clumsy]

This has to be the biggest, stinkingest pile of poo I've ever come across.

I've spent the entire weekend trying to get my new dongle working so I could sync up the phone (Nokia) with the laptop and I finally managed it, but have no idea how.

I accidentally deleted the headset off the list of devices and now after I re-paired it, there are no connect/disconnect choices available on the menu.

It's absoulute ****e. :* :* :*

[Memetic]

Bluetooth is getting better but it suffered form being hyped at launch then not delivering what it promised.

It is getting better, but if you look at the amount of work that went into the standards and how hard it is to get two bits of Bluetooth talking to each other then it is obvious there is still a way to go. Personally i am convinced that some of the larger phone manufacturers are deliberatly crippling thier Bluetooth implementaions so that you cannot fully utilise thier handsets with 3rd party headsets.

One thing that continues to fustrate me is headsets, it really strikes me as dumb that the vast majority of headsets for phones (i.e. Bluetooh handsfree sets) cannot work as a headset Microphone combination for a Bluetooth equipped PC. I know WHY (Different profiles are used for a headset to an audio device).

Interestingly the Bluetooth SIG - the people who develop and promote the standard are well aware of the public perception...I'll stop there.

[goates]

So far I haven't had any trouble connecting my Motorola Bluetooth headset to my Sony Ericsson phone or PC, but have had trouble connecting the phone to my PC. I think this has more to do with poor and sometimes confusing software than the Bluetooth standard itself. My headset works ok in MSN Messenger, although it seems to have trouble with echoing what the other user says back to them. This may be due to the drivers that my Logitech Bluetooth hub uses, which apparently inlcudes more of the Bluetooth abilities than many other adapters.

Bluetooth does make it easier to sync my contacts etc. with my PC now that it is working though. My PC also picks the phone up as a modem too, although I disabled that connection as the computer kept asking what internet connection to use.

goates

[Mac the Knife]

Agree with goates - "I think this has more to do with poor and sometimes confusing software than the Bluetooth standard itself.

The PCs and the Palm and the headset and the cellphone can now all talk to each other nicely but getting some of the bits set up (particularly the cellphone-to-PC, curse you Nokia) was a PITA

[Windle Poons]

PDA, GPS, phone and car. Each one can talk to the other which is all very nice, but they cannot have a conference, which would be much better. One day I'm sure it will be possible, and then I'll have to buy a whole new set of toys to put in the pram. :p Don't tell Mrs Poons. :E

WP

[BahrainLad]

I know it's a continual refrain on this part of the board, and I apologise in advance....but, get a Mac!

Powerbook G4 with built in Bluetooth and a Sony Ericsson V800 (one of the Voda-3G handsets) talk perfectly....even though they're not officially supported...I can sync with Address Book, Calendar and surf a 300kbps connection with no problems at all. Setup was an absolute breeze.

(However, my mother with her Sony Vaio and Ericsson T39m has nothing but trouble....that's what happens with using 3rd party software....with Apple, it's built into the OS.)

[Evo]

I have bluetooth keyboard and mouse with my G5 iMac and that's fine, but I'd damn well expect hardware from the same company to work together. Mixing and matching is usually a much tougher test, and a year or so ago I gave up on trying to link a Sony Ericsson T610 with a T30 thinkpad, it just would not work. However, I tried again recently with a T40, MS bluetooth mouse and a S/E K700i and it's simplicity itself. I don't know if I've been lucky or if it has started to settle down.

[BoeingBoy]

I am so glad to read all your comments. I have just bought a Motorola V3 and spent all day trying to connect it to my PC's, both desktop and laptop without success.

I can connect the phone to the PC using the Microsoft wizard but there is no way that I can get the Moto software to recognize the phone. I can connect using a USB cable and synchronise the phone that way but via bluetooth...no way.

Moto tell me that there are known issues with various 'Dongles' in SP2 but mine matches the MS web site compatability list. I am at a loss as to what to do other than trying another dongle from another manufacturer. Any idea's?

[redsnail]

Nokia 6230 and Palm Tungsten T3. Perfect. Point and shoot. Worked first go and couldn't have been easier. :D
(Bluetooth)

[Tallbloke]

A long time ago I bought a MS bluetooth mouse, which comes with its own dongle. It cost €99 I think, which was the same price as a bluetooth PC card. I thought I was getting a deal but no, the MS dongle is slightly different etc. etc. and would not work with my phone (a Nokia). In the end I bought a generic bluetooth pc card for about £40 and uninstalled the MS bluetooth stack, now all is lovely, the phone connects and does all sorts, the mouse still works etc. I still have some niggles with my carkit, but I think that is mainly because the stereo "ducks" if there is any change in status of the phone or the bluetooth link. If I leave it in the door of the car, no problems though.

As for headsets, I have linked my Nokia HDW-3 to my laptop and can use it as a headset BUT it must be disconnected from the phone first. After I discovered this it took all of 10 seconds to get it sorted out with messenger etc.

And as for Macs, my ex-girlfriend bought one of those shiny tea tray laptops, and never got any joy out of the bluetooth (it was an "old" one though, she bought it about 18 months ago).

[Keef]

I can have my Motorola V3 work with my iPaq and the Motorola headset, but not with the laptop via its BT dongle. I got it working once, but next time I tried to use it, it gave me a stream of error messages.

What I *do* like is the way opening the Motorola BT headset immediately establishes the link with the V3. If I'm in the car and the phone rings, I grab the hreadset, flip it open, hang it on my ear, and press the button. And it works, just like that.

The Ericsson HBH didn't do that with any of my SE headsets. Even if I got the pairing working when I set off on a journey, I couldn't be sure it would still be working ten minutes later. It would always drop out after a call and have to be reset.