Toshiba Brings Bluetooth to Market

Early Devices Lonely

Of course, Bluetooth communications are limited until more Bluetooth-enabled devices hit the market. Until these arrive, the most valuable use of the technology will probably be sharing files between two notebooks using Bluetooth PC Cards.

"Through SPANworks or Windows Explorer, you can send a compressed version of a presentation so that, as the presenter pages through, the pages flip on the other connected machines," Allen says. "You can also send vCards (a form of electronic business card from Versit) from [Microsoft] Outlook."

Toshiba successfully demonstrated wireless chat between two notebooks via Bluetooth cards. Power drainage, a key factor in any kind of mobile computing, is fairly minimal with the Bluetooth PC Card, Allen says.

"It uses about 70 milliamps at 2.7 watts," he says. "That's less than an internal modem card, which uses about 200 milliamps."

Vendors Promise Support

Bluetooth will become more useful as devices proliferate. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth lets you use a phone as a wireless modem for your laptop without taking the phone out of a bag. Or you could use a printer without cables and network access.

"Bluetooth would be great on a plane where you could wirelessly tap into the plane's already existent Internet connection," Allen says. "Boeing has demonstrated Bluetooth connectivity is safe on planes, but airlines will likely wait for Bluetooth to become successful among consumers before they deploy it."