November 08, 2006

Tueblooth

Everything about Bluetooth is backwards when you sit at your PC:

  • I want to use my phone as a headset to my PC, not add a headset to my phone.
  • I want to access the Internet connection on my PC, and use my PC as a router. Not use the phone as the master connectivity device.
  • I want to use the PC to provision and configure software, and then download that configuration; not download and then configure on the itty bitty keypad.

I think some people in the mobile industry get stuck in a “mobile only” mindthink, and ignore the multi-platform multi-access reality of the users.

Posted by Martin Geddes at 07:19 PM
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Comments

The counter example to that is the woeful Pocket PC. It's stuck in a "tethered to your desktop" model, where around 3/4 of the software *must* be downloaded to a PC first, so that you can run the "Installer", which copies the single file you actually need to the pocket pc.
I agree, bluetooth is the world's stupidest stack for all sorts of reasons, but sometimes a little bit of strict separation between devices can be good.

Posted by: at November 8, 2006 11:19 PM

Bluetooth was not designed with phone PC as the main use cases, but rather connecting PCs and phones to the same peripherals like headsets and printers.
The telecom and computer companies did not have "device convergence" on their agenda in late 1990s when Bluetooth was specified but were rather "mobile only" and "PC only" minded.
So one could blaim the industry for bad strategic foresight.

On the other hand, I am also wondering why PC and phone vendors don't fix the first two use cases.
It is "just" a matter of whether devices support the client or server side of e.g. the headset profile.
Maybe a combination of being stuck in the 1990s, mentally and maybe in SW system architecture.

Posted by: at November 9, 2006 07:06 AM

Spot on. Seemingly basic stuff, especially your first example, should "just work". What's more maddening is that most of the core technical functionality you need to make it work is already built-in to the Bluetooth standard.

So I disagree somewhat with the comment from LG - it's not the standard that's stoopid, it's how it's manifested and used when wrapped in a real device, or set of devices. The Cordless Telephony Profile has been around for yonks - but handset manufacturers were actively discouraged from supporting it, as it might hurt operator/carrier business. Slowly - this is changing.

Posted by: at November 14, 2006 12:52 PM
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