Article Title: Do You Need Bluetooth?
by: Tim Childree

When buying any digital electronic device, whether a cellphone,
PDA, or notebook computer, it is important to check the
specifications to ensure that it will serve your purposes.
Bluetooth is becoming an increasingly popular offering in
personal electronics, but do you need it?

What Is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a wireless PAN (Personal Area Network)
transmission protocol standard. In layman's terms, Bluetooth is
a technology that enables a device to communicate and share data
with other Bluetooth capable devices – cellphones, headsets,
PDAs, notebook computers, desktop PCs, computer peripherals,
printers, cameras, and others – through radio wave transmission
(so there is no need for wires) at a range of around 1, 10, or
100 meters, depending on the class of your Bluetooth device
(Class 1 has the longest range and Class 3 the shortest).

If a device has a Bluetooth chip, it can communicate with other
devices that have a Bluetooth chip. Users can share pictures,
movies, datasheets, documents, and all sorts of information
among them as long as their devices are in range (they do not
need to be in direct line of sight). For instance, a
Bluetooth-capable digital camera can communicate with a
Bluetooth-capable printer for direct printing. Likewise, a
Bluetooth-capable cellphone can be connected to a
Bluetooth-equipped headset so that a person can take and make
hands-free telephone calls.

Bluetooth can be used for internet connectivity as long as a
Bluetooth-enabled computer is in range of a Bluetooth modem.
Bluetooth devices can also form a small wireless network (called
a piconet) of up to 8 devices. For security, devices can be
paired and transmissions encrypted. So that it causes only
minimal interference, Bluetooth periodically changes frequency
channels.

Bluetooth uses the same radio frequency that 802.11 Wireless
Networking does, but it is much simpler than 802.11 technology,
negating the need for complex network configurations. Bluetooth
also has lower power consumption, making it more economical,
though its range is shorter.

You Need Bluetooth

If you wish to have an extremely basic home network, Bluetooth
is for you. There are no wires to trip you and there are no
complex configurations like network permissions or addresses to
deal with. Piconets are temporary, so a new device can
immediately join or leave a Bluetooth network with nothing more
than a simple device discovery. It is important to note,
however, that piconets are no substitution for a traditional
home network (whether through Ethernet or 802.11 Wireless),
which are much more reliable and offer much more full-bodied
security options.

If you have a notebook computer, there is a good chance you
will want to have Bluetooth connectivity so that you can take
advantage of the many Bluetooth-equipped peripherals, thereby
eliminating the need for bulky wires. You can also easily
synchronize data between your handheld devices and your notebook
computer. Moreover, if you are fond of sharing data with other
handheld device users, you definitely need to have Bluetooth for
easy and convenient data sharing.

You Don't Need Bluetooth

It is important to note that Bluetooth can present a security
risk if you store sensitive information on your
Bluetooth-enabled device. If you are traveling with sensitive
information on your computer, cell-phone, or PDA, it is wise to
disable Bluetooth temporarily to prevent data theft or
exploitation. Please also note that some corporations and
government entities disapprove of Bluetooth and similar
convenience-based additions, so please check with your employer
if you intend to use your Bluetooth-enabled notebook for
business.

About The Author: MALIBAL is the Home of the World's Fastest
Laptops! For more information, please visit:
http://www.malibal.com