what is bluetooth???

[davychiu]

i'm planning to get an ipaq... most likely with bluetooth if it's what i think it is... standard wifi 802.11b? or am i wrong? or is it to connect to cell phones?

and when i get the ipaq.. i'm planning to surf and store a fair amount of stuff... so i'd get some memory expansion... and i read couple of posts with these cf sleaves ? what's cf??? it is like a pcmia slot attachment thingy or something?

are extra batteries recommended? i'm probably gonna use it for 5+ hours/day.

sorry for so many questions.. but i really want to clear up these questions before i get one.

[AnswerDude]

Lots of info here to start you with:
http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/pocketpc/H3970.html

[blackbarby]

I had some of the same questions so dont feel bad. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are two different programs with different capabilities. Wi-Fi for wireless internet and bluetooth for remote connectivity to other devices that may or maynot have the internet and if they do you may use use but I am not sure how. Go to www.bluetooth.com for more info. I am waiting for compaq to come out with a wi-fi + Bluetooth + infared that is ideal set-up. I am not an expert like some of these people but I hope that helped a little.

[Thinkingman]

Hello:)
BlackBarby gave an excellent response to your question.
Bluetooth is simply a signal that is available with in a certain distance, say 200 feet, maybe less or more depending on where the signal is being sent. If you have a bluetooth Ipaq you would be able to use a bluetooth cell phone to connect to the internet.
Wi Fi is going to have a broader range of wireless connection. Many corporate buildings use it so that the employees have access to their intranet and to the internet.

[mperetz]

Bluetooth was originally perceived to be a cable replacement technology for short range data transfer. It has very low power consumption requirements - but it it is also quite slow - with throughput limited to under 1 Mbps and the effective range on the current implementation is limited to about 30 feet.

It isn't meant to comptete with or replace 802.11 or WiFi - because that technology depending on which flavor you choose can transfer data at between 11 Mbps (rated) and 54 Mbps (rated) - effective or real throughput is about half that though I think. Either way - 802.11 technologies are for true wireless local area networks that can extend hundreds of feet and handle large-ish volumes of data.

Bluetooth is mean to do things like take away your mass of cables on your desktop computer setup or let your PDA and cellphone communicate without a cable.

There is a Bluetooth Special Interest Group, or SIG, at bluetooth.org

The comparable body for Wifi/802.11 is WECA, or the Wireless Ethernet Compatiblity Alliance or the IEEE 802.11 working group itself.