Bluetooth Software v1.5 for Mac OS X

Headset Support for Bluetooth on Mac OS X - yay!

[edit]

12 hours later and I’ll summarise my Headset findings:

• To set up a headset you can’t just pair it - you need to use the “set-up Bluetooth device” menu item from the Bluetooth menu extra (or use the button in the ‘Bluetooth’ Pref. Pane.)
• If you can’t see the ‘headset’ option in the set-up assistant then your Bluetooth adapter is not fully supported by Apple’s BT stack. Only D-Link adapters are supported. Built-in adapters - such as in my 17″ PB are D-Link and therefore supported.

  

• I had to update the Firmware in my PowerBook’s internal BT adapter before it would allow me to set-up a headset. The Firmware updater is available Here.
• The D-Link USB adapter connected to my Server is not supported by the Firmware updater (it is revision A2, but B2 is the minimum required) so I cannot use headsets with that machine (which is not a big deal for me.)

  
  

• iChat + a Bluetooth Headset is very good! I like being able to continue a chat even if I have to wander away from my computer.
• Speakable Items + Bluetooth Headset looks very futuristic but alas the sound quality in my headset does not seem good enough for recognition purposes - not surprising since the headset was designed for telecom use mainly.

4 comments

1. johann says:

   Is there any way of using a headset with the mac and having a noname product usb dongle. can i get a bluetooth stack from somwhere else than from apple

   February 11th, 2005 at 1:12 pm

2. Diggory says:

   Johann,

   Alas I don’t think so - I think Apple’s stack integrates with the audio subsystem, allowing bt headsets to appear to the OS as just another audio in/output.

   I doubt you’d get that with a third-party stack.

   February 11th, 2005 at 2:07 pm

3. Adam Sherman says:

   We tried a few headsets with a DLink dongle on my iBook and got very poor sound quality. Which headset are you using, and are you getting good sound?

   Thanks,

   A.

   May 17th, 2005 at 7:47 pm

4. Diggory says:

   I’ve used an old Ericsson HBH-30 which worked well - but is now broken.

   I replaced it with an HBH-65 - which doesn’t work so well - but the sound quality is still good.

   May 17th, 2005 at 10:53 pm

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