Thursday, March 4, 2004
Bluetooth is Only Needed in Europe, says Dell
Posted by Jonathon Watkins in "NEWS" @ 07:00 AM
Following on from our post last week about Dell UK selling a Bluetooth enabled X3, comes this news: “The Bluetooth version of Dell's Axim 3i PDA will only be available in Europe, not in the US. It is not a mistake but a policy, as Bluetooth is "not so broadly needed in the US", the company said. “ Hmmm, we’ve chatted about this issue before I seem to recall. :wink:
"Nokia and Ericsson are driving Bluetooth heavily in Europe," said Kris Karppi, Dell EMEA product manager for Axim. "The market for in-vehicle GPS is also greater in Europe, he said, adding that most of these systems use Bluetooth antennae. There are also "a lot of proprietary solutions for cable replacement," he said, and a strong corporate customer base that could drive Bluetooth use. With all that, Dell had "no hesitation at all" in launching a Bluetooth version in Europe, said Karppi." So *that's* why we got the option to buy one in the UK!
“The picture in the US is rather different, showing considerable hesitation and perhaps a U-turn or two. The company told IDG's PC World at the launch that it would "eventually" offer a Bluetooth device, but did not say where, only pointing out that Bluetooth demand is stronger in Europe.”
So, there you go – it's official. North Americans don’t need Bluetooth while Euopeans can't get enough of it. What’s your take? :?:
"Nokia and Ericsson are driving Bluetooth heavily in Europe," said Kris Karppi, Dell EMEA product manager for Axim. "The market for in-vehicle GPS is also greater in Europe, he said, adding that most of these systems use Bluetooth antennae. There are also "a lot of proprietary solutions for cable replacement," he said, and a strong corporate customer base that could drive Bluetooth use. With all that, Dell had "no hesitation at all" in launching a Bluetooth version in Europe, said Karppi." So *that's* why we got the option to buy one in the UK!
“The picture in the US is rather different, showing considerable hesitation and perhaps a U-turn or two. The company told IDG's PC World at the launch that it would "eventually" offer a Bluetooth device, but did not say where, only pointing out that Bluetooth demand is stronger in Europe.”
So, there you go – it's official. North Americans don’t need Bluetooth while Euopeans can't get enough of it. What’s your take? :?:
