Wednesday, June 12, 2002
The Second Coming of Bluetooth
Posted by Jason Dunn in "NEWS" @ 09:27 AM
http://www.business2.com/articles/web/0,1653,41334,FF.html
Cheap Bluetooth chipsets are finally available, so this may be the shot in the arm that Bluetooth needed. I personally think that when Microsoft introduces their Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo set, it will be a watershed event in the world of Bluetooth - assuming that it works properly of course.
"In its infancy, Bluetooth was plagued by the kinds of problems that are often associated with software introductions: delayed rollouts, buggy technology, and dodgy demos. A bigger roadblock to Bluetooth's early adoption, however, was its cost. Many analysts blame the relatively high price of Bluetooth chips for the technology's slow adoption rate. In an industry where cash-strapped wireless carriers already subsidize new phones in order to lower costs for consumers, Bluetooth's initial chip set -- priced at $10 and up -- was simply too expensive.
But now all that may be changing. Texas Instruments recently introduced its BRF6100 chip, which will be available to handset makers in the first quarter of 2003. Priced at just under $4, the new chip is nearly 60 percent cheaper than earlier versions. Motorola (MOT) is also preparing to integrate low-cost, efficient Bluetooth technology in its own chip designs later this year."
Cheap Bluetooth chipsets are finally available, so this may be the shot in the arm that Bluetooth needed. I personally think that when Microsoft introduces their Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo set, it will be a watershed event in the world of Bluetooth - assuming that it works properly of course.
"In its infancy, Bluetooth was plagued by the kinds of problems that are often associated with software introductions: delayed rollouts, buggy technology, and dodgy demos. A bigger roadblock to Bluetooth's early adoption, however, was its cost. Many analysts blame the relatively high price of Bluetooth chips for the technology's slow adoption rate. In an industry where cash-strapped wireless carriers already subsidize new phones in order to lower costs for consumers, Bluetooth's initial chip set -- priced at $10 and up -- was simply too expensive.
But now all that may be changing. Texas Instruments recently introduced its BRF6100 chip, which will be available to handset makers in the first quarter of 2003. Priced at just under $4, the new chip is nearly 60 percent cheaper than earlier versions. Motorola (MOT) is also preparing to integrate low-cost, efficient Bluetooth technology in its own chip designs later this year."
