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"Синий Зуб" (Bluetooth) - Заметки стоматолога (Новости) Выпуск от 18.11.2004


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"Синий Зуб" (Bluetooth) - Заметки стоматолога (Новости)
Выпуск № 30 от 18.11.2004.


Тема: 		 
Microsoft Desktop Elite for Bluetooth
 
Keyboard
By IAN JOHNSON
Globe and Mail Update

REVIEW:

Last year around this time, I reviewed a Bluetooth desktop suite from Microsoft. The hardware was excellent. The software was abysmal.

Microsoft obviously went back to the drawing board with Bluetooth, because its new Desktop Elite for Bluetooth keyboard and mouse set shows massive improvement.

The hardware itself has seen a few changes beyond some cosmetic updates, but then there really wasn't much to fix in this area. Microsoft has always made top-notch desktop peripherals, and this suite is no different. The keyboard in the $200 (Cdn.) desktop suite is one of the best on the market, both in looks and performance. It's done in eye-catching blue and silver, and has all the special function and shortcut buttons most users will ever want.

For example, the spread of keys across the top of the keyboard is impressive. There's a central cluster for controlling audio playback and volume, with a row of special keys to either side. They default to shortcuts for accessing standard Windows folders such as My Documents and My Photos, or for calling up things like your e-mail program and Web browser. They're all programmable through Microsoft's excellent Intellitype Pro software, too. And programming a website into the keys has never been easier - just call up the site, then hold down the key you want it assigned to for a few seconds. Voila, it's set.

The F keys have a "shift" button, doubling their functions. In shift mode, you can use them to carry out Windows functions, such as opening and closing programs or windows.

On the left of the keyboard is a scroll wheel and two buttons that default to scrolling forward and backwards in your Web browser, or through open programs. The scroll wheel is a great time saver when you're reading documents and Web pages, and it features Microsoft's Tilt Wheel technology. Not only does the wheel roll up and down, but it also tilts left and right on a hinge so you can scroll side to side on-screen.

The keyboard is shallow, making it very comfortable even for long work or video game sessions. The key action is quiet, damped by sound absorbers under the keys, too. There's even a padded wrist rest.

The mouse is also top of the line. It's a two-button model with a clickable scroll wheel. The wheel uses the same tilt technology found in the one on the keyboard.

The optical mechanism in the mouse is excellent. It tracks accurately and works on almost any surface short of a mirror (which can fool the optical sensor with reflections).

The only down side is that it's an ergonomic mouse made specifically for right-handers. If you're right-handed it's an extremely comfortable mouse, but if you're a leftie you're out of luck.

Both the mouse and keyboard have power-saving technology that extend the battery life to several months. The keyboard is more power-hungry than it's non-Bluetooth cousins, though, requiring three AA cells instead of two (the mouse takes just two).

Software and Setup

It's the software where the real changes have taken place in this suite. The code is finally becoming worthy of the hardware - although there are still some issues.

The previous Bluetooth desktop set was a nightmare to set up, requiring you to dig around in Windows sub-menus to make a slew of changes to network settings (Bluetooth is a full-scale network technology, as opposed to the simple radio-frequency transmitter and receiver in traditional wireless desktop suites). The new software eliminates the complexity - almost.

Installing the software is easy, taking a couple of minutes. Then you plug a Bluetooth adapter into a USB port on the computer (the adapter looks like a miniature USB Flash drive).

So far so good. But you'll have to open the control panel and call up the Bluetooth panel to "associate" the devices with the Bluetooth adapter to finish the setup (this is because of the security and anti-interference technology built into the Bluetooth system). Microsoft's developers could have written a program to call the necessary windows up for you or put an icon for it on the desktop as part of the installation - after all, it's their operating system and source code - but they chose not to. Instead, you're given sketchy instructions about how to go through the control panel to get to the Bluetooth association program. It'll frustrate new users, but by reading the manual they should still manage to struggle through OK. It's just harder than it needed to be.

Associating the keyboard and mouse is simple, although the on-screen instructions are vague. Somebody should proofread the instructions before the product goes to the public and actually try to follow the help windows to the letter as a user would... Anyway, once you decipher the instructions, you'' associating the devices is a simple matter of telling Microsoft to pick a password for each device automatically, or choosing one and typing it in yourself.

Oh, and while the old suite worked with any version of Windows, this new package is Windows XP only. And you must have Service Pack 2 installed before installing the keyboard and mouse drivers, or they won't work.

Once the hardware was set up, though, I had no more problems. Everything simply worked - although I still had some performance issues that are common to most Bluetooth peripherals.

The main problem with the Bluetooth link is the power-saving mode. The mouse wakes up almost instantly, and unlike the previous version, there's no lag (so you can play games that require fast reaction time, for example). But the keyboard still takes anywhere from three to six seconds to wake up after a period of inactivity. That may sound like a short lag, it's annoying to start typing and see nothing appearing on screen, then have a ton of words pour out behind your cursor a few seconds later.

The other issue is accessing the BIOS. Bluetooth only becomes active when Windows has loaded, since it's a network-based communications system. If you need to access the PC's BIOS or go into a DOS windows for anything, you'll need to keep a standard PS/2 or USB keyboard and mouse handy.

There are some benefits to Bluetooth, though. The main ones are range (up to 30 feet as opposed to six for traditional wireless desktops) and security (Bluetooth encrypts data an identifies each device individually rather than broadcasting over an open frequency). The range is good for media centres, for example, where you want to use the keyboard and mouse from the couch.

The security is good for areas where a lot of wireless devices are being used (to avoid interference) and where sensitive data is being exchanged. A friend of mine in the medical field had problems with crosstalk in his clinic - wireless devices would get confused and one mouse would start controlling a different computer. He was also worried about security. He scrapped his standard wireless keyboards and mice, installed Bluetooth gear, and both problems were solved instantly. No more crosstalk, and the data exchanged between the keyboard and the PC receiver is encrypted so that only the designated machine can read it.

The other benefit is that the suite's adapter works with other Bluetooth gear too, allowing your computer to connect with things like Bluetooth phones and PDAs to synchronize data, and with printers to send print jobs wirelessly. Microsoft's previous Bluetooth adapter had compatibility issues, but the new adapter works with most new Bluetooth devices.

Overall, the Microsoft Desktop Elite for Bluetooth is a beautifully made desktop suite. It has some minor performance issues still due to the complexity of the Bluetooth technology it uses, but if you're having problems with standard wireless gear or need extra wireless range, it's a good (although pricey) alternative.


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