When I recently purchased my new laptop, the one feature I wanted that was not included was Bluetooth compatibility.  To be blunt, I like my portable devices to be…portable.  And I just don’t find a Pocket PC to be portable when I am constantly lugging around a sync cable to download data.  So, I was overjoyed today when a USB Bluetooth adaptor arrived on my doorstep, courtesy of Proporta.

What’s In The Box: This is a simple device, which is exactly what I wanted.  Included in the box is a USB Bluetooth adaptor, CD-ROM with the Widcomm Bluetooth drivers and a brief instruction booklet.

Installation: Just plug the adaptor into any available USB port on your computer, and insert the CD ROM.  The installation wizard will guide you through everything your need to know.

Drivers: The CD ROM included with this adaptor installs the Widcomm Bluetooth drivers.  This is one of the two primary BT drivers available for Windows devices.  The other, of course, is the Microsoft stack of Bluetooth drivers.  The Widcomm stack, however, has long been considered the more robust and superior stack of drivers, and I was happy to find it included with this adaptor. 

The included drivers allow the Bluetooth adaptor to pair with a total of ten different devices:

• audio gateways (such as headphones or speakers),
• serial port,
• fax machine,
• headset,
• PIM item transfer,
• imaging/photo transfer,
• file transfer,
• dial up networking,
• network access, and
• PIM synchronization. 

If you can think of anything you can connect with Bluetooth that is not included here, then you are way ahead of me (although, having said that, I am sure someone will try to do so.)

The Adaptor: The USB Bluetooth adaptor is about the size of a small thumb drive.  Easily capable of fitting into a pocket in your pants, briefcase, or bag.  It is a simple looking device with a translucent case, allowing you to view the innards of the device.  Ever since my Swatch Watch days, I have been fascinated with being able to see the inner workings of devices, so I appreciated this effect.  A blue light illuminates when the device is connected or paired up with any peripherals, computers, or accessories. 

The Results: I tested this adaptor with two different controls.  First, and most importantly, I wanted to be able to sync my Pocket PC via ActiveSync without the need for any cables.  Setup for this option was relatively easy (the only problems I encountered were related to ActiveSync, not the adaptor.  It took me under five minutes to establish a connection and set up my device to sync via Bluetooth.  The results were impressive.   It took about the same amount of time to sync via Bluetooth as it would have with a sync cable.  Additionally, whereas a cable connection will only allow me to stray a few feet before getting snagged, I was able to wander around most of my house (up to 25 or 30 feet) before I lost the Bluetooth connection.

I also wanted to see how this adaptor would fare with my Bluetooth headphones.  So, I quickly established a pairing between the USB Bluetooth adaptor and my Motorola HT 820 Bluetooth Headphones.  I tested this connection with a music video, a movie clip (actually the trailer from Batman Begins) and an audio CD.  I experienced no skipping and the sound quality was exceptional.  Plus, with a range of up to 30 feet, I could walk throughout the whole house while listening to music, without lugging around my laptop or being tethered by annoying cords.

Conclusion: As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, the one feature my laptop has been missing is the ability to connect via Bluetooth.  The Bluetooth Mini USB Adaptor has solved that problem entirely.  This adaptor worked flawlessly, and was able to connect to other devices with no interference or other problems.  Now, all I need to do is find more Bluetooth peripherals to connect.

Vital Statistics:

Name: Bluetooth Mini USB Adaptor

Where to Find It: Proporta

Price:  $26.00

Drivers: Widcomm Bluetooth Stack (compatible with Bluetooth 1.2)

Technorati Tags: Proporta – bluetooth – adaptor – dongle

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