# Difference between Bluetooth on a Laptop vs. Wireless??



## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

I'm having a brain freeze and need help about how are they different? the laptop bluetooth and wireless laptops.

I'm looking and learning about laptops so when the day comes I get one I know what I'm looking at.

I need to have these specs explained to me as clearly as you can please.

I'm reading some laptops (apple) are set up with "Airport" wireless?? why is that called out and how is that different from regular wireless?

So the more expensive laptop cal out Bluetooth, so I thought that bluetooth was wireless?

So if you please, break it down, and how they are used, Bluetooth, Wireless, and Airport, thanks, Joe


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## Joefireline (Apr 2, 2006)

Well, bluetooth is usaully used for connecting other devices, such as phones, but you can also use it for a network, by connecting a bluetooth thing to the router/modem. Wireless is usaully just used around a house, but can be used in other places, where there is hotspots. Airport wireless, I am guessing that just means it has more of a range, therfore more idea for hot spots.


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

Joefireline said:


> Well, bluetooth is usaully used for connecting other devices, such as phones, but you can also use it for a network, by connecting a bluetooth thing to the router/modem. Wireless is usaully just used around a house, but can be used in other places, where there is hotspots. Airport wireless, I am guessing that just means it has more of a range, therfore more idea for hot spots.


thank you, I never seen or heard of anybody using the laptop bluetooth, maybe people with blackberrys use it to communicate/talk with their laptops? something like that maybe?

I went to N. Carolina and seen that resturants are big on providing laptop wireless service for you, I guess if the wireless don't work 100% it would be good to have the Airport option? good stuff to know, thank you very much...


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## whardman (Jun 28, 2006)

Yea, bluetooth is designed for devices (ie. wireless mouse, connect a pda, etc.). Wireless (ie. 802.11g - Wireless-g) is internet only to connect a computer wirelessly to the internet. 

Airport is apples version of wireless internet. Airport allows a mac to communicate wirelessly to any wireless device including wireless-g compatable PCs/APs. This will give a better description of how airport works.

P.S. If I'm wrong on the airport feel free to correct me. (I don't know much about MACs.)


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

whardman said:


> Yea, bluetooth is designed for devices (ie. wireless mouse, connect a pda, etc.). Wireless (ie. 802.11g - Wireless-g) is internet only to connect a computer wirelessly to the internet.
> 
> Airport is apples version of wireless internet. Airport allows a mac to communicate wirelessly to any wireless device including wireless-g compatable PCs/APs. This will give a better description of how airport works.
> 
> P.S. If I'm wrong on the airport feel free to correct me. (I don't know much about MACs.)


That makes sence, I only see airport on Mac's, must be a trade mark right not to call it wireless. 

I'm asking because I want to try an Apple G4 Pro notebook, it looks to be pretty good, its seems to have everything you would need, completely loaded, I just hope I like Mac.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

One of my co-workers has a G4 PowerBook with an AirPort card in it. She bought a regular 802.11b/g wireless router and it worked flawlessly.


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## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

A couple things I don't think were mentioned:
Bluetooth is a wireless system designed for short-range things. It's range is only about 10-15 feet though, so trying to use it for wireless internet is not a good option. It is used, as others have said, for connecting devices: a bluetooth mouse so you can carry that around easier and not worry about as many cords.

Standard wireless (A/B/G/Pre-N/etc) is meant for longer range (I think about 300 feet is the standard range without a cantenna), and is generally designed for wireless internet and network usage. Apple's Airport is simply what they call their wireless- it uses the same standards as any other wireless device.

So, it's up to you if you want to get one, both, or none. If you want to connect devices, get bluetooth; if you want wireless internet, get wireless.
Also, one other thing to keep in mind, is if you have any 2.4Ghz cordless phones in your house. These will degrade the signal of wireless and make it hard to connect/use it. If you want wireless, think about replacing those with 900Mhz phones.

Cheers!


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Bluetooth is a wireless network system that works in two layers. The first is wireless connectivity. This is acheived using whichever bluetooth stack you are using (WIDCOMM, BlueSoleil, Windows SP2). The bluetooth stack will establish stable communication with the device and mount it as if it were connected locally via cable. The second layer is the local installation. The OS manages this, so long as it has the drivers. An example is a Bluetooth mouse. Using your Bluetooth stack, you establish the Bluetooth connection to the mouse. The mouse is mounted locally and detected as USB Human Interface Device as if it were connected locally via USB cable.

Bluetooth is a protocol for connecting hardware such as peripherals and Phones/PDAs. Peripherals can include mice, keyboards, tablets, printers, scanners, speakers, headsets, etc.

WiFi works by connecting and associating with an AP (Access Point) or another PC. Generally, connecting to an AP gives you Internet access, depending if it is connected to the router/AP or not.

People often buy a wireless router when they establish DSL/Cable service, so they can have wireless Internet access in their home. Places like Starbucks also provide Internet access via WiFi.

AirPort is Apple's version of WiFi and is no different than WiFi. Apple's AirPort hardware, however, is far more expensive than conventional WiFi equipment. The Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station is equivalent to a Wireless G Router. The Airport base costs near 120-150 dollars, whereas a Wireless G router typically costs 40-90 dollars.

WiFi is Wireless networking amongst many computers through a router.
Bluetooth is connection to peripherals wirelessly.

There is, however, something called Bluetooth PAN (Personal Area Network). These wireless devices enable networking similar to WiFi through bluetooth. This is much more expensive, though.

Bluetooth's range is generally about 5-10 meters, though there are devices that can broadcast up to 100 meters. WiFi ranges from 30-60 feet with home routers and up to 200 feet with professional 802.11 antennas used for WiFi in a city.

Hope this helped answer your questions and then some...


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Rehones: Yes, if you have 2.4GHz phones, they will interfere with 802.11b and 802.11g networks as they both operate on the same frequencies. You can either switch to 900MHz phones or buy an 802.11a router and laptop/PC Card. 802.11a devices operate on a 5GHz frequency. Somewhere near 2007, 802.11n will come out, offering rediculous speed and range, but it runs on a 2.4GHz channel as well...

Some companies also offer "Pre-N" devices. I'd wait for the real N...


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

ebackhus said:


> One of my co-workers has a G4 PowerBook with an AirPort card in it. She bought a regular 802.11b/g wireless router and it worked flawlessly.


I'm finding a few people say the G4 Powerbook is a better laptop than most others in the same group. I went to comp usa and stayed there for two hours trying out all the laptops.

I found the G4 Pro finger mouse pad was not all that great to the touch with the ginger, at first it was me, then when I got use to the way it wanted to be touched the responce could have been better, then I was realizing the system was busy and it was not moving because of that.

Then I was seeing the G4 Pro finger pad was not all that great, because the other laptops were so much more responsive to the touch of the finger, no stall time because of system being busy, it was like the Intel/AMD never needed to pause.


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

Ralck said:


> A couple things I don't think were mentioned:
> Bluetooth is a wireless system designed for short-range things. It's range is only about 10-15 feet though, so trying to use it for wireless internet is not a good option. It is used, as others have said, for connecting devices: a bluetooth mouse so you can carry that around easier and not worry about as many cords.
> 
> Standard wireless (A/B/G/Pre-N/etc) is meant for longer range (I think about 300 feet is the standard range without a cantenna), and is generally designed for wireless internet and network usage. Apple's Airport is simply what they call their wireless- it uses the same standards as any other wireless device.
> ...


My cordless house phone is 5.8 Uniden, I'm so surprised that its not as good as my other phones, my last 2.4Ghz and my older 900Mhz that were so good to use all over and around the house, my 900Mhz worked great, I was able to drive down the street 6 houses, and just as I turned the curve it would go out.

This peice of crap I have now was sold at Home Depot, that should of thrown up a red flag, never again I'll buy with out reading reviews, I don't know if its the base design, or what, but this Uniden 5.8HGz is crap!!!! I might as well have a wired phone rather than paying the 100.00 this double reciever hand set cost.


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

Higher frequencies result in shorter ranger. That's why the military still uses ULF (ultra low frequency). It has a rediculous range....

I suggest going for an IBM based machine over Apple. That is if you want a shred of compatibility...


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

laboye said:


> Higher frequencies result in shorter ranger. That's why the military still uses ULF (ultra low frequency). It has a rediculous range....
> 
> I suggest going for an IBM based machine over Apple. That is if you want a shred of compatibility...


Geeeze!!!! I wish I knew 5.8 is that shorter range, dam!!!! thats it, I'm not buying another item with out going on the forum first to post to find out all about it.

Yeah, I keep forgetting about compatibility!!! I do have a very low bid on a Apple laptop that was made just before the G4's came out, so it should be respectable. I want it more for when I go on vacation for emails, I figure for 175.00 it won't kill me, its not all that much of a unit for speed so I won't load anything on it.

thank you very much for the bit of info, I really appreciate it!! Joe


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## laboye (Apr 11, 2006)

No problem, Joe... I've always stuck with the 900MHz phones. They're cheaper, too...


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## joeeye (Apr 5, 2005)

laboye said:


> No problem, Joe... I've always stuck with the 900MHz phones. They're cheaper, too...



I have to keep more of an open mind now when buying new products being cautious when updates come out like the 5.8 MHz cordless phone, the 5.8 MHz is not even better than the 900 MHZ in the short range too inside my house. What was the manufacturer/designer thinking? (like I don't know, lol)


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I have 2.4Ghz phones in my place and all of my wireless hardware plays nicely. Many phone makers now certify that they have "wi-fi friendly" devices designed NOT to interfere with 802.11a/b/g networks or any other device that's on the 2.4Ghz spectrum.


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