Bluetooth Reviews

I ordered the TomTom BlueTooth Navigation system for a Pocket PC. It arrived in an orderly fashion. The shipping box was damaged. The manufactureer's box was damaged. The GPS device was floating around in the box. The L-shaped cradle was missing (item#2 on page 3 of the manual). Much to my chagrine, the IPAQ cradle was missing. Then I looked a little further and the manufacturer's box had the cradle X'd out even though the price was $347.00. The retail price for this package INCLUDING the cradle is $349.00. I called J and R and told them my problem. They told me that they knew about the problem and that I was to call TomTom directly because the wrong box was being distributed. I called TomTom and the Customer Service representative told me that J and R was responsible. I once again called J and R and was told that they would "send the missing parts".

I may be wrong but I think that J and R purchasing did not investigate the product very well and they were selling it in a wrong manner. They need to straighten this out before seiing this item as advertised.

The single star was for my experience and is in no way meant to deter the purchase of the TomTom device. It just serves as a warning to check what you buy. There are different boxed versions of the Bluetooth TomTom Navigator.

I should say that I was able to take care of this problem this morning and that everyone involved was very nice.

For now I have returned my item and am waiting for things to "cool down" before jumping back on the horse and trying again.

The Tomtom navigator version with no cradle for your Pocket PC lists for $329. With the cradle it lists for $349. Unlike most items on Amazon, this J&R listing makes absolutely no mention of what comes in the box. I assumed that for $347 you were getting a $2 discount on the $349 version. Nope, your being charged $18 more than retail for the one without the cradle. What's worst, is that the cradle costs you $50 when bought separately from Tomtom. Avoid hassles, buy directly from Tomtom and get what you expect.

I had tried so other devices but found the interfaces difficult to use (let alone my wife). The TomTom does an outstanding job and setting up is very easy.
What is also much better is the display and routing of the maps, especially outside LA when driving in scarcely populated areas.

You will have big problem installing. I simply returned it.

If you follow the manual verbatim, you will have no problems setting this up. I didn't follow it at first and tried to do the traditional plug and play technique like all my other hardware. That gave me the INF errors as well.

Use the manual!

To fix INF error, either uninstall and reinstall (using manual), or Add New Harware, find Bluetooth device, tell Windows you want to select drivers from specific location, and choose your cd-rom drive. If you don't, Windows tries to use a comparable driver that is not fully compatible and that's why you get the error.

Pros
- Inexpensive

- Easy to Use after install

- Alot of functionality for the software

Cons
- Range wasn't as far as I expected. I only get 15 feet before I get a weak signal. Optimal range is within 10 feet.

- Manual doesnt use traditional methods for install. This is what people mess up on. Don't plug it in until the other software is installed. Then you have to hit cancel on menus where you would normally hit next.

Following the instructions, I had this installed in less than ten minutes (Windows XP). It is as easy to use as a hard drive, and I haven't had any problems with it.

I bought the 3com USB Bluetooth adapter to syncronize my desktop calendar and contacts with my Nokia 3650. The adapter is not compatible with Nokia PC suite which is necessary to be able to synchronize calendar and contacts. I would not recommend it.

I purchased the 3Com Bluetooth USB Adapter to connect my Nokia 3650 to my Dell Inspiron 3500 Notebook (running Windows 2000 Professional). Using the version of Nokia PC Suite which came with the 3650 I could not connect. However, once I downloaded the lastest version of PC Suite (version 3.0 18-Nov-2003) from Nokia, and the latest 3Com drivers (bub1_2_10en.exe 30-Apr-2003) everything worked.
The 3Com bluetooth software works with no tweaking, and has a good manual and FAQ installed on the laptop.

First, let me say that I'm writing this review with significant experience with other adapters. I work with a lot of Bluetooth technology, and I've made it a point to try different companies' adapters. Most Bluetooth USB adapters are based on the same two chipsets, so the software, form-factor, and range are the biggest issues most users will need to look at. The 3Com adapter is a good adapter, with the most intuitive software I've seen yet. This means that most users not experience with Bluetooth technology will have an easier time using it. Believe me; Bluetooth is not always easy to get working (as a previous reviewer stated). However, do your homework to make sure your device is compatible before you buy it...
Regarding the form factor, it could be a little smaller, and the blinking blue LED is VERY bright! However the adapter wins on the "cool factor" having a blue light-conducting strip across the adapter. Range is average for this class of adapter at 10m (33ft.). I hope this helps!

Zero documentation for installation and setup on Mac -- I had to download a PDF from their website and ultimately email Belkin Tech Support for help.

Once I got the mouse basically working, I asked them how to configure the various buttons. Out of the box, the side button does nothing. Belkin told me "We don't have any special software to program the buttons but you may be able to find a third-party application"!! Clearly their Mac OSX support is an afterthought. My advice: Wait and buy one that really IS compatible.

Although there's no documentation about OS X, it's simple to set this thing up (in 10.3.3): just open the Keyboard & Mouse preferences, choose Bluetooth, and click "Set up new device..." and push the connect button on the bottom of the mouse.

And while there's no OS X support for the third (thumb) button, you're still a right-click and a scroll wheel ahead of Apple's own Bluetooth mouse offering... for less money.

I just bought this printer for my office and am sad to report that contrary to the product information provided on this page, this printer's bluetooth capabilities DO NOT SUPPORT MACINTOSH/APPLE OSX. I'm upset to say the least, as I have a powerbook and bluetooth was the reason I bought this printer.

The HP Deskjet 995ck Inkjet printer is an updated version of the 995c printer, which was first released in 2001. The 995ck was released in September 2003, and the differences between the two are minor. The 995c came standard with the duplex (two sided) printing unit and an infrared sensor. For the 995ck, the duplex unit is optional and the infrared sensor has been dropped. Hewlett Packard (HP) has dozens of printers available both in the Laser and Inkjet category. I will explain below why I think that the 995ck is one of the best Inkjet printers on the market for under $500.00. I also purchased the HP 175x Jet Direct Print Server along with the printer.

Prior to purchasing the HP 995ck, I owned an Epson Stylus Color 800 Inkjet printer. It was the top rated Inkjet printer discussed in several computer magazine reviews at the time. I was looking to replace it with a unit of comparable quality and capacity. My requirements were as follows:

A) Excellent text and graphics printing on plain paper - Graphics being defined as pages printed from the internet or downloaded magazine articles which are then printed for later reading, perhaps with graphs, charts, etc.

B) An ink cartridge life of approximately 1000 pages, and reasonable printing speed.

C) Relatively low cost per page expense.

D) A full-featured Ethernet connection that would operate just like my HP 4050TN Laser printer, which has a built-in Ethernet connection. I have a home office with four computers and wanted everyone to be able to use both printers without my computer needing to be on to print.

E) A well built unit mechanically, which would stand up to occasional office use for a long time without parts falling off.

F) A printer capable of good photo printing, but top quality photos were not needed.

The HP 995ck was the best choice among 15 printers that I evaluated or read about. There are many Inkjets available for less than the $249.00 that I paid for this one, but in one respect or another they didn't cut it for me. Many of the low cost Inkjets appeared to be made very cheaply, using plastic parts in some spots that look like they may not last very long. Even the other HP low cost printers looked to me a bit flimsy, particularly the paper tray components. I suppose for $99.00 I shouldn't be so picky.

The other area I found to be a problem was getting a printer with a Network connection without having to buy a third party print server box. In many cases, these units do not work correctly with every printer and my research shows that in the reverse direction (that is when the printer sends status information back to the computer), they do not work at all. The 175x is bidirectional with most HP printers, however before making a purchase, check out the HP website for a list of compatible units. The 995ck comes standard with a USB connection.

The HP 995ck is cost effective with ink, with an average cost per page of about 5 cents. It has optional high capacity ink cartridges if you want them, and they are not that expensive (relative to other models). The other nice thing about the ink cartridges is that they have built in ink nozzles, so when you replace the ink cartridge you are also replacing the nozzle. Some printers made by other companies do not have an option for the user to replace the ink nozzle. The user would, in the case of ink nozzle failure, just buy a whole new printer.

The printing quality of the 995ck is excellent for both text and graphics, even on plain copy paper, and it prints quite a bit faster than my old Epson. As far as the build quality of this unit, I consider it better than most of the lower cost Inkjet units, including those made by HP. It does have plastic parts but they appear to be more solid than other units I looked at.

The 175x Jet Direct print server is an external print server, housed in a small box with the footprint of a 3x5 index card, and costs about $159.00. It turns the 995ck and some other HP inkjets into full-featured network printers. (NOTE - check the HP website for a compatible printer list and network capabilities). This allows the owner to share the printer with others on the network. It also allows you to locate the printer up to 100 feet away from the computer. It comes with a Installation wizard which worked quite well, although you may wind up calling HP's technical support if you are not that familiar which setting up networks.

I am very pleased with the 995ck although I have only had it for a short time. In other review articles on the web, when they discuss this printer, the focus was always on the Bluetooth connection. I have no interest in this feature and simply turned it off. One of the control panels has a button to shut it the Blue tooth connection down, if you don't need it. A well known consumer magazine recently reviewed some Inkjet printers and liked this one too.

Highly Recommended.

Bobzt
RF Engineer.

I was so excited when I got the whole system home - 1 base 4 handsets. The 2.4Ghz is very noisy, much more than my 900Mhz. The range from the base is about 15feet in my house, so really my office or next door rooms, feels like you are hooked with a cord. Very Clunky Menu's on handsets and the computer programs. No Holding feature, to Flash a call you must toggle through a menu to locate 'flash'. Customer Support helps make you feel that the issues are you and not the phone! Over all - very upset -

At last a Bluetooth phone for use in the home or small office.
I have a BT GSM phone and PDA and loads of BT add-ons like headsets - now I can use them at home with the CDP24206. Very easy to use phone via graphical displays - very simple to pair BT devices.
Excellent!

This adapter may work fine with other Sony products, but it does not work with PDAs other than Sony Clie. I tried every listed and imaginable option on both ends (my Vaio notebook and iPaq 2215), they "saw" each other, but could not transfer files -- not with Bluespace, not with integrated WinXP functions, and not with the ipaq software. Nada. Sony tech support was no help. I went on-line to research this problem, and MANY complaints of the same type were available -- that Sony Bluetooth does not play nice with its neighbors. Seems this is the way Sony competes in the marketplace. Fortunately, I can return this control-freak BT adapter, and get one more diversity-friendly. But many who have an integrated Sony BT in their Vaios apparently are forced to buy external BT adapters, as they are unable to use the Sony internal with their non-Sony PDAs.
Not very friendly, Sony. This is a lousy way to compete. I got my Vaio TR1 because it was an awesome little laptop. If I had liked one of the Clies, I would have purchased it. However, I preferred the iPaqs, for many reasons. Don't bully the consumer! Let us choose based upon our needs and how your products meet them.

I purchased one of these for use with my Sony TR2 laptop, which curiously had its internal Bluetooth removed for the American market. In any case, I wanted to use it with my Sony Ericsson T616 Phone and Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, nothing fancy.

I'm glad to say that software installation was a breeze, and the included BlueSpace NE software makes adding Bluetooth devices a snap. You launch the application, then press discover, which brings up a list of Bluetooth peripherals within range. You are then prompted to add the device and enter a PIN number. Much easier than the previous hassles I've been through with Bluetooth technology.

The hardware itself is tiny, easily the smallest USB Bluetooth adapter I've ever seen or used, and far better than Microsoft's monstrosity that comes with the keyboard and mouse. The end of the adapter glows a cool blue when plugged in as well. The mini carrying case comes with a lanyard hole so you won't lose the thing, I actually have mine attached to my keychain.

Initially I had a problem getting Outlook to sync with the T616 phone through XTND Connect, which is provided with the phone. This caused some hair-pulling, but was resolved by going to Phone Monitor Options under the control panel and turning on COM Port 4. Then activate the Serial Port service in BlueSpace NE and you're good to go.

As an interesting side note, this adapter works perfectly with my 667 MHz Apple PowerBook G4 in addition to the VAIO! Although it's a bit more expensive than other USB Bluetooth adapters, the cool design and ease of use make it worth the bit of extra cash. Definitely recommended.

Contrary to the product description, this adapter is not compatible with the Apple Macintosh with a USB port. I have an I-book G-4 that is Bluetooth enabled and it could not recognize the Kespan adapter (BT-A).

I emailed Keyspan for technical support and never received a response. Thus, I had to send this back to Amazon and lost $4.00.

I have a t610 sony ericsson and it worked great i was able to sync with extend conncet (but you have to open the wireless modem control panel and select the com port first) after i did that it worked great i got some bt software... i think it might work wit the 3650 also someone should try it its great....

Having recently purchased both the Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer for Bluetooth and the Belkin Bluetooth card I was hoping for compatibility between the two. I could not locate presales literature for either device indicating compatibility. Net result is that the PC card does not have the "input device" (according to Microsoft phone support), service needed by the mouse, therefore your mouse will not work with the Belkin card. Belkin phone technical service says they will have a software upgrade to support Bluetooth mice by March 2003. One additional challenge is that the driver software is not signed. It will still load on Windows XP if you allow it. Driver upgrade is confusing. The driver upgrade from Belkin, Version 1.2.2.4c, when loaded indicates that it is Version 1.2.1.20, which is the same as the old version. Technical support says that the new driver is loaded but they "forgot" to update the version number. Good points - simple to install if you follow the directions, small and sturdy form factor, easy to contact support, good price.

This is a really nice keyboard and mouse combo.. when it works. Being a top of the line product and the high price, you would expect that Logitech would place a big emphasis on quality control. Unfortunately this doesn't appear to be the case as I've had to return my keyboard after only two weeks. During the first week, two of the keys stopped working, then they became stuck on permanently and finally stopped working again.

The keyboard is also very battery hungry. The media pad range was diminished by about half after only two weeks of using it so you better keep a healthy supply of AA batteries on hand. The mouse runs flat after 2-3 days if you don't remember to put it in the recharge docking station at night. I also had reoccurring problems with connectivity whereby the software would prompt for a blue-tooth connection code.

Although Logitech claims full pre-boot support, I couldn't get into the windows pre-boot menu, only the BIOS.

All of this may sound like doom and gloom, but in reality it still is an awesome keyboard, especially the media pad with the LCD display. You'd put up with most of the problems if the whole combo was a lot cheaper, but given the top of the line cost, you should get top of the line product, which unfortunately you don't.

I am actually using diNovo keyboard to type this review, and it is a bit of a struggle due to malfunctioning spacebar. :(

I did a bit of research on diNovo before buying it. Most online magazines (PCMag, CNet, etc.) highly recommend this product, noting its high price as the only drawback.

I got this keyboard/mouse combo a week ago, and I must say it looks and feels great. Separate keyboard and touchpad save you desk space. Mouse runs all day without a need for recharging.

I didn't experience any connection issues. It was only one time that I had to press the "connect" buttons on BlueTooth hub and mouse to have it re-detected because it stopped functioning all of the sudden.

The initial installation was smooth. I downloaded the latest drivers, got everything connected and everything went well from there... until yesterday.

All of the sudden the space bar (probably the most useable key on any keyboard) started losing response. I had to hit it harder to move the cursor and even then, at times, it would not respond. As I type this, I often have to hit the spacebar 4-5 times in order to make a single space between the words.

Another problem surfaced early this morning. The lower "fast scroll" mouse button would sometimes result in a "locked" fast scroll. This could be a software issue, I am not sure.

One thing is for certain, the assembly quality seems to be on the lower side. I reached this conclusion based not only on personal experience, but by reading other customer reviews and comments. Given the high price of this product, I am extremely disappointed, if not angry. This is probably the most expensive keyboard/mouse combo on the market, and one thing Logitech should have made sure is that it is of solid build quality. The product is produced by a Logitech plant in China, by the way.

As far as support goes, here is the story so far...

I made a big mistake by not saving the original packaging, so I am not sure if I'll be able to exchange it at local store.

I called up Logitech support (you can find their contact information at logitech.com), and had a live person on the line after a short wait. I told them about the problem, and the tech. support rep said that I have to exchange it at local store where I bought the product since it's been less than 90 days since the purchase.
I told him that I didn't keep the original box and that the retail store may have problem with that. He said that they will make an exception and handle the exchange themselves if the retailer won't accept the exchange.

I e-mailed the store where I got diNovo, and, at this point, I am waiting for their reply. I will post a follow-up review and tell how this thing plays out and if the replacement keyboard is any better than the original.

As a Mac user, this is the keyboard I expected to see come out of Cupertino. Since Apple has decided to not move to a 'more than one button' set-up (at this point it is just ego) I decided to snag one of these guys from Ebay on the cheap. Instantly, I loved it. Five minutes later I was ticked off to find that it does not work with OS X... well it does it you rig it up but th numerical keyboard does not work AT ALL. It is just a really expensive calculator at this point. What really gets me is how simple it would be for Logitech to write a simple driver so that Mac users, who are notoriou for over spending for great design, could use their product. Talk about a swing and a miss... shame on you Logitech. Same.