Bluetake POKE 2 USB Adapter
Performance
The only real drawback when it comes to Bluetooth technology is its speed. Bluetooth devices can only transmit as a maximum speed of 1MB/sec. If you’re looking for speed 802.11b and the newer 802.11g are the ways to go, however these standards do not offer the extensive functionality offered by Bluetooth.
To test the POKE2 we used the Bluetake USB dongles which were reviewed a few months back. The POKE2 was attached onto a laptop while one of the USB dongles was fixed onto a standard desktop PC. The POKE2 is said to have a range of 10 meters, however in our tests we only had the machines in two rooms apart. Once each device was attached, in the discovery mode the devices automatically found each other. Next we proceeded with a simple file transfer 10MB file. The transfer did take a few seconds to complete since it’s transferring only at 1MB/s or probably a bit less due to the distance, however it’s definitely faster and much more convenient than transferring 10MB through a floppy drive.
Next we tried out the internet connection sharing facility, making the desktop as the main gateway. This worked out flawlessly and it’s an extremely convenient feature to have to connect all other machines in a household that doesn’t have direct internet access.
Moreover, we tested the POKE2 using a Bluetooth enabled cell-phone and it worked with no problems at all. Synchronizing your phone to the PC is a great way to keep upto-date information about your contacts and what ever notes you have. Best of all you could also have the mobile phone act as a modem when you’re on the move to send faxes, browse the net, check e-mail or what ever you wish to do.
I know most of you’re highly concerned about the security features of the POKE2. The software does provide a basic level of security which requires you to authenticate yourself if you need to access the PC in which the POKE2 is attached, however for a trained hacker this isn’t much of an issue to get through. Considering that my data is hardly worthless to a hacker I don’t think I need to worry about this too much 🙂
Conclusion
All in all, the POKE2 is a great device to have. It’s small as your thumb and does what you expect it to do without any problems. The main difference between the POKE2 and the USB dongles apart from its looks is its supported range. While the USB dongles have a range of 100meters, the POKE2 only has a range of 10meters. This is still good enough for corporate users to use in an office, or home users.
The applications of Bluetooth technology is still at its formation stages, but we can expect to see many more devices in the future to come equipped with support for Bluetooth. Here’s the back cover of the POKE 2 casing, it shows us the range of applications this little device can provide.
As more and more manufactures get into the Bluetooth bandwagon the functionality offered will increase considerably. One of the main features why users would get a POKE2 would be to synchronize their mobile phones with the PC which I believe is one of the best features. It’s still great for simple file share and other functionalities offered, but that’s just on top of my list. Its compact size and high reliability make the POKE2 a must have if you intend to have a cheap wireless network or make use of the other functions offered. Since Bluetooth technology is currently getting wider acceptance it’s best that you get into this market soon.
