Microsoft Brings Bluetooth to the Desktop

Microsoft's Bluetooth-compatible keyboard and mouse will be available across the United States by November, the company announced Tuesday.

Microsoft's Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth includes a keyboard, mouse, and transceiver. A more advanced and ergonomic mouse, the Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth, will be available separately.

The transceiver connects to the PC via a USB connection, and can link it to other Bluetooth devices such as personal digital assistants and printers.

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that allows devices to interact without cables. A Bluetooth mobile phone could be used as a modem for a laptop or a desktop PC linked wirelessly to a printer in another room, Microsoft says. The transceiver has a range of up to 30 feet, the company says.

Microsoft last month released the software necessary to develop Bluetooth products that will work with Windows XP-based PCs.

Microsoft's Wireless Optical Desktop for Bluetooth will cost $159 and includes support for the Windows XP operating system. The Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth, together with a transceiver, will cost $84.95, Microsoft says.

The Redmond, Washington-based company says it hopes the Wireless Optical Desktop will be the catalyst that makes the Bluetooth market take off.