Tech Support > Computer Hardware > Handhelds & Wireless > bluetooth vs wi fi?
bluetooth vs wi fi?
Posted by David on December 15th, 2003


Hello,

What is the difference between bluetooth and wi fi? I am in the market of a
PDA? Narrow down to the new Axim X3i and the HP iPAC h1940. Any comments?

David


Posted by Ebbe Kristensen on December 16th, 2003


"David" <dy168@cox.net> wrote in message news:<_wrDb.6888$i55.684@fed1read06>...
Bluetooth is for connecting your PDA to other gadgets without cables.
You can use it as a network connection (e.g. for connecting to the
internet) but it is not ideal for this.
+ Low power, i.e. longer battery life
+ Can connect to Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, GPS receivers etc.
- Low speed

Wifi is for connecting to a network e.g. a LAN. If you want internet
access at decent speeds, this is what you need.
+ High speed
+ In the cities there are an increasing number of Wifi hotspots.
- Somewhat more power hungry

Both tecnologies have their place. It all depends on what you need.

Ebbe

Posted by Davide Bianchi on January 2nd, 2004


Ebbe Kristensen <ebbe@ekologic.dk> wrote:
Also, BT is very sensitive to 'electronic noise'. Where there are a lot
of computers (I mean, a _lot_) the signal degrade very fast.

Davide

--
| life suddenly made much more sense, the day i fully grokked that
| people are stupid. -- Frank Sweetser
|

Posted by Ebbe Kristensen on January 5th, 2004


Davide Bianchi <davideyeahsure@onlyforfun.net> wrote in message news:<bt4oqf$3bhto$2@ID-18487.news.uni-berlin.de>...

The reason why BT is hit harder by EMI is that BT transmits at much
lower power levels so the signal is drowned by the noise whereas WiFi
with its higher signal strength gets through. However, raising the
signal strength would mean higher power drain leading to lower usage
time or bigger batteries. And since ultra-portability is one of the
main strenghts of BT devices, this is not going to change.

But the REAL culprit here is of course those badly shielded
computers/cables/whatever...

Ebbe


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