Windows XP Unwired

Bluetooth Devices

Just a year ago, Bluetooth devices were a rare species. It was difficult to find Bluetooth add-ons, not to mention Bluetooth-enabled devices. Today, you can find Bluetooth adapters of all shapes and sizes, and with different kinds of interfaces for the various devices. Bluetooth adapters come in the following types of interfaces:

USB

Suitable for desktops and notebooks that have a USB port

Compact Flash (CF)

For use with handheld devices equipped with a CF slot, especially Pocket PCs

PCMCIA

Suitable for notebooks with PCMCIA slots

Secure Digital (SD)

For use with handheld devices equipped with SD slots, such as Pocket PCs and Palm devices

The following sections show some of the Bluetooth devices available in the market today.

USB Adapters and Dongles

The easiest way to add Bluetooth capability to your system is to insert a USB Bluetooth adapter into your USB port. Today, USB Bluetooth adapters come in all shapes and sizes. For as little as $40 you can a get Class 2/3 Bluetooth adapter. For slightly more, you can get a Class 1 adapter that extends the effective communication radius. Figure 6-4 shows the Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter connected to my notebook computer.

Figure 6-4. The Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter connected to my notebook

Compact Flash

For Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), a popular format is CF. Many PDAs contain a CF slot for expansion purposes. ...