Bluetooth and WiFi Comparisons

Bluetooth can be defined as a wireless form of communication that
enables devices to send and receive communication. It is a global
initiative set up by manufacturers such as IBM, Intel, Ericsson,
Toshiba and Nokia to create a standard for linking up devices such as
mobile phones, mobile PCs, handheld computers and other peripherals.
Bluetooth relies on short-range radio technology to allow the wireless
connectivity. The key features of Bluetooth are robustness, low power
and low cost. Both data and voice transmissions can be handled
simultaneously. Examples of innovative solutions which users can
perform include printing or faxing capabilities, synchronising PDA,
laptop or computer and making or receiving calls from a mobile phone,
with many more applications available.



Wifi is short for 'wireless fidelity' and is a limited-range wireless
networking code which is used in many airports, hotels or other
services, who offer public access to Wifi networks, to allow people to
log on to the Internet and receive emails whilst on the move. As Wifi
is a reasonably fast method of transmitting information in wave form,
it is often used in computers and also notebooks. In future, it will
become possible to access the Internet from just about anywhere,
without the use of any wires. The advantages of using Wifi are that the
networks are fairly cheap and straight-forward to set up. Wifi is also
quite inconspicuous and can hardly be noticed unless it is being looked
for specifically, whilst in a Wifi 'hotspot.' For a wireless network to
be created, communication is transferred like a two way radio, using
radio waves.



Both Bluetooth and Wifi have both been in the news more especially in
recent years. Both technologies are relatively new on the market and,
with time, a trend may be seen favouring one or the other. As more and
more Bluetooth devices become available, most people will own devices
for Bluetooth and Wifi. There are several advantages for opting for
Bluetooth networking over Wifi and vice-versa. WiFi and Bluetooth are
actually very different technologies with very different reasons to
exist. The question should not be Bluetooth versus Wifi but more how
Bluetooth can work with Wifi.



Advantages of Bluetooth



Bluetooth can connect devices from point-to-point and probably better
on security than Wifi, as it can cover shorter distances. In addition,
Bluetooth offers an optional two levels of password protection. Up to
seven devices can be connected at any one time which makes it easier to
find and connect the device being searched for, as Bluetooth highlights
itself to the other devices. Bluetooth technology is also more ideal
for consumer electronics devices as it has a smaller power requirement.
Microsoft have also recently announced that Bluetooth support will be
built into a future version of windows XP. Another advantage is
concerning voice communication. For an office or home environment,
Bluetooth can be used in a cordless phone within a 10m range, without
the need to be passed around. It is not likely that Wifi technologies
will have a required voice-over-IP to support voice communication,
within the near future. Bluetooth was also introduced much earlier in
the market and is installed in much more user devices and products, in
comparison to Wifi products.



Advantages of Wifi



The most prominent advantage which Wifi has over Bluetooth is that Wifi
operates at a much faster rate - of about 11mbps, whereas Bluetooth
only operates at a much slower rate of around 720kbps. This makes
Bluetooth too slow for video transfers or for moving large amounts of
large photo images from a digital camera. Wifi is also designed to link
up entire networks, rather than computer to computer. Wifi can achieve
this too but it is not its real purpose. Originally intended to be used
for mobile computing devices, such as laptops, it is now often being
used for increasingly more applications, such as Internet access,
gaming and basic connectivity for home electronic appliances such as
televisions or DVD players. Wi-Fi may be used by cars in highways, as
standards rise in development, in support of an Intelligent
Transportation System to increase safety, gather statistics, and enable
mobile commerce.



Having taking in the advantages of both forms of communication, it can
not be said that one is better than the other. The two wireless
protocols can be used to perform separate things and it is not
essential to opt for one, rather than the other. Bluetooth should be
the first choice for when connecting single devices, only when speed is
not an issue. It has a short range of approximately 30 to 60 feet and
common applications can include sharing printers, syncing PDAs or using
a mobile phone as a modem. As time goes by it will be very interesting
to see how both Bluetooth and Wifi develop and what new uses they will
have and for what devices.

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