Please excuse my ignorance, but is a "bluetooth stack" a hardware or software item? I know you need hardware to run bluetooth, but does that hardware differ from manufacturer to manufacturer? Or is all the hardware the same and it's the software that causes the problems?
The bottom line is...I see that a lot of people are having problems with the "Bluetooth stack" in the x51v. Will there ever be a software fix to this problem? Or is this a hardware problem and anyone who owns an x51v from now to infinity will have problems with the Bluetooth?
As you have probably guessed, I have never used bluetooth and any information to get me started would be greatly appreciated.
Depends on what you mean by acceptable. If you, as I do only use BT to Sync and transfer files with my desktop the existing stack work just fine. I think the complaints are with trying to connect to cellphones and devices such as earphones.
What I am trying to ask is...If people are complaining about the bluetooth being less useful than on previous Axims, is that becuase Dell used substandard hardware? or did they decide to use software that makes the bluetooth less useful than before? I thought that bluetooth was a STANDARD...meaning that it all works the same...
On every operating system I have ever used it is possible to override if not replace any component. How that is accomplished is of course platform-dependent and not always worth the effort or the cost in resources.
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I have been looking into this some and here is what I have found. I use bluetooth with activesync and also to transfer files between my laptop and Motorola V600 Cell phone. That works just fine. I have also dialed my cell phone from my PDA using a bluetooth link - trying to use the cell as a bluetooth modem. I have not gotten that to work yet because I do not have a dial up connection to my Internet provider,,,, yet.
Bluetooth internet sharing I have not done yet because: There is some configuration problem on the laptop that keeps me from enabling sharing. Its says the IP address is alread in use. On my work PC the IT gouls have that grayed out and I have not been able to get around their security.
I do not use or own bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth headset for my cell phone. From reading some manufactures web sites it is a know issue that WM5 does not support these devices. Some web sites offer solutions like add on bluetooth transmitters. From one report I read said that HP offers support for their own HP headsets. For me, I like the idea of Bluetooth headphones (stereo) and headsets (cell phone) but not the price. This is supose to be part of the next WM5 upgrade from Microsoft with something called A2DP support. I had a simular problem when I moved my desktop to XP and my Parallel port scanner was not supported - and would not work. It is still not supported.
Another complaint here has been Bluetooth printing. I found some websites state specifically that they have software and support for bluetooth printing with X51v. This would be cool, if I had access to a bluetooth printer. which I don't. Have you found any apps on you X51v that offer a print menu selection? I haven't. Okay, I have, Resco Photo,, but it says that the HP Bluetooth thing has to be installed and that is no longer available.......
This is really nothing new for Microsoft, remember when all kinds of devices would not work with Windows 2000, then the OS was dumped. XP has been better but not perfect.
Hmm...I'm still not getting a clear answer to my origional quesiton. I am starting to get the idea that bluetooth hardware (in PDA's) is all the same. The difference comes with the software. SO...it IS possible that someday the x51v's Bluetooth will function in a way that wont make people complain. All Dell has to do is change the software that they are using.
I dont yet have an axim. I dont want to buy something that is crippled on the hardware side (which cannot be updated). If this is simply a software cripple, it has hope of being fixed. Right?
At the simpliest level, the hardware is a radio. What protocols were implemented in the software determines what functions can be used. Similarly, as in any communication, both sides need to have matching capabilities. Cell phones are notorious for crippling BT capabilities.
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Hmm...I'm still not getting a clear answer to my origional quesiton. I am starting to get the idea that bluetooth hardware (in PDA's) is all the same. The difference comes with the software. SO...it IS possible that someday the x51v's Bluetooth will function in a way that wont make people complain. All Dell has to do is change the software that they are using.
I dont yet have an axim. I dont want to buy something that is crippled on the hardware side (which cannot be updated). If this is simply a software cripple, it has hope of being fixed. Right?
OK, there are a couple of different BT hardware vendors, but for the most part they all adhere to the BT Special Interest Group standards - 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 are all well defined and 2.0 is now pretty stable. Each hardware vendor makes a BT chipset which they sell to various OEMs to include in their product. In addition to the BT hardware, one also requires a BT software stack to enable the hardware. Essentially the BT stack is both drivers and an application layer that enumerate the functions available. These functions are defined as profiles within the stack.
The BT hardware used in the Dell Axim x51 series is apparently capable of adhering to the BT 2.0 spec. However, Dell has seen fit to only use the Microsoft BT stack. The Microsoft BT stack is functional but only supports a limited number of profiles. Other stacks like the ones from Broadcom (Widcomm) and IVT (BlueSoleil) are more full-featured. Alas these stacks are not generally available for sale as an addon or to replace the built-in Microsoft stack. Too bad - if I could buy a fully functional Widcomm or BlueSoleil stack for WM5, I would.
The short answer is: right now the Dell Axim x50/x51 series with WM5 are crippled in functionality. The older WM2003SE OS uses a Widcomm stack and is more functional, but unavailable to x51 series owners. x50 series owners can downgrade back to WM2003SE if they have upgraded to WM5. Eventually (hopefully this March) Dell will release the AKU 2.0 update for WM5 which apparently adds push email as well as more profiles for the Microsoft BT stack. AKU 2.0 was released to device OEMs in early December 2005 but each OEM has to implement it with their specific hardware. Note that there is a rumor flying that the BT stack update MAY NOT come with AKU 2.0 - instead it is slated for AKU 2.2!!! Let's hope not....
PS: AKU = Adaption Kit Unit, a fancy term essentially equivalent to a service pack for Windows. AKU is used instead as Windows Mobile devices are firmware OS devices (i.e. embedded). One would only hope that someday Microsoft can release a firmware based OS that is upgradeable through a mechanism like Windows Update. Then we wouldn't have to wait for Dell... :)
Hmm...I'm still not getting a clear answer to my origional quesiton. I am starting to get the idea that bluetooth hardware (in PDA's) is all the same. The difference comes with the software. SO...it IS possible that someday the x51v's Bluetooth will function in a way that wont make people complain. All Dell has to do is change the software that they are using.
I dont yet have an axim. I dont want to buy something that is crippled on the hardware side (which cannot be updated). If this is simply a software cripple, it has hope of being fixed. Right?
Yes it is software based. The X51v uses Microsoft's BT stack, which has less features (most notably, at least for me, the inability to use BT stereo headphones) than the Broadcom BT stack used in the X50 WM2003. People are trying to put the Broadcom stack into the X51v, although so far unsuccessful, it is not out of the realm of possibility. There will most likely be a fix/update sometime down the line.
So no, no one is complaining about the hardware.
__________________ Dell X51v + Motorola e815 | HP HX4700 | HP 2215 | iPAQ 3950 | iPAQ 3835
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