Despite having one of the coolest names in technology, I`m starting to wonder if Bluetooth is ever going to find its way into the mainstream of technology. Or, more to the point: is Bluetooth going to be swamped by a newer and more exciting technology known as 802.11?
With each Bluetooth demonstration that I see, the technology falls further behind in my estimation.
Alastair Otter, Journalist, ITWeb
When I first heard of Bluetooth a couple of years ago it seemed, at the time, to be exactly what the world was waiting for. Bluetooth promised to free us of the hundreds of cables that tied us to our desks. It also promised easy and secure connectivity no matter what device we used.
A couple of years down the line, though, and Bluetooth has still not lived up to any of these ideals. The wireless hands-free kit from Ericsson is regularly rolled out for demonstrations but in truth the true use of Bluetooth is still something of a mystery.
In the interim, however, a new and truly useful technology has come to the fore called 802.11, or wireless LAN to use its generic name. Wireless LAN, in my opinion, is possibly the most exciting technology development for years.
Sold on 802.11
Having seen 802.11 in operation at a number of local events recently I confess to be completely sold on the idea. And with each Bluetooth demonstration that I see, the technology falls further behind in my estimation.
The two technologies are admittedly not the same, but when it comes to practical implementation, I suspect that wireless LAN has a significant upperhand. Most corporations will undoubtedly invest in 802.11 wireless technology in the coming months with the result that users will already have much of the functionality promised by Bluetooth.
Wireless LAN gives users the ability to roam around the office, still connected to the Internet, without needing a network cable. Likewise they can use any of the network resources, including printers and disks. Similarly, they are able to connect to any other 802.11 network with the same benefits.
In comparison, Bluetooth seems, well, toothless. Bluetooth may well be able to connect to a printer from 10m away and it may well be able to give me truly wireless and hands-free cellphone operation but it doesn`t give my laptop network connectivity, unless I want to use the painfully slow speeds offered by GSM technology.
Being able to connect wirelessly to the Internet and my local network is by far my biggest need and assuming that there are printers and other devices connected to the network, I have most, if not all, of the functionality I would have using Bluetooth.
Bluetooth cards may well be cheaper initially, but the investment in a wireless card would undoubtedly pay for itself a lot quicker. Bluetooth may be able to hold onto a niche market but I suspect in the long run 802.11 could well be the more useful and dominant technology.
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