7 ms·

There's a long list of comments in that thread discussing "why" it's the case, with most simply saying "it's difficult." I disagree. I think it's the same rea

There's a long list of comments in that thread discussing "why" it's the case, with most simply saying "it's difficult." I disagree. I think it's the same reason why so much of our software is poor quality: taking something from "works" to "works well" is a cost sink. It will cost you and yet doesn't add much to the bottom line to compensate. It's sad that my family uses the available Bluetooth devices less than if there was a wire we could just plug into. We think of technical innovation as a straight line forward but sometimes it goes back the other way.

PaulHoule 4y ago
My experience is that better quality Bluetooth headsets can handle being paired to multiple devices, cheaper ones will drive you crazy. I have these on my head right now at the office https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/crossfade2-wireless https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/crossfade2-wireless and I have a pair of these at home https://www.poly.com/us/en/products/headsets/voyager/voyager-focus-uc https://www.poly.com/us/en/products/headsets/voyager/voyager... I wound up getting these after having been deeply dissatisfied with Bluetooth headphones and I think they've been a very good investment. My current complaining is about the host devices. My work laptop is a thin Dell Latitude, the performance of Bluetooth is great on that, in a metal frame office building I am able to listen to audio in the bathroom a considerable distance from my office. My personal computer is a huge Alienware (also Dell). Bluetooth is OK when I am sitting directly in front of it but if I go to the next room it only works if I am careful to tilt my head the right way. I think it's a poor radio and/or a badly designed antenna. Apple devices on the other hand seem to refuse to play music over WiFi with Bluetooth. Most people don't seem aware of this because they use iPhones with cellular connections but I can't do it with my iPad and we always have visitors to our cell phone dead spot (most of upstate NY) try to play streaming music from their phone to bluetooth speakers and fail.
- georgeecollins 4y ago
  >> My experience is that better quality Bluetooth headsets can handle being paired to multiple devices, cheaper ones will drive you crazy. I have these on my head right now at the office My experience as well-- just gonna put a little plug here in for the Jabra Elite bluetooth headset, that works really well for me.
- curioussavage 4y ago
  I listen to my phone/AirPods daily over Wi-Fi and cellular and walk up to 3 floors away from the phone to my basement with barely a stutter.
- fragmede 4y ago
  Most people aren't aware of that because it isn't a thing. Listening to music and podcasts on an iphone, streamed via WiFi, then resent via Bluetooth to airpods works just fine for me. I can't say why you're having problems with it though
noir_lord 4y ago
> It's sad that my family uses the available Bluetooth devices less than if there was a wire we could just plug into. I specifically buy wired gaming headphones, wired mice and wired keyboards - if there is any sensible wired option I'll take it every time, I even have an extra long network cable I can throw across the living room for the laptop. Wireless stuff is just less reliable and always seems to throw issues when you really need it to work.
- david927 4y ago
  We specifically got a printer that only can connect via a USB cable and it's been perfect. But that's not the answer. Why? It's not that much data. WiFi doesn't seem to have some of these problems. Why is Bluetooth so shit?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - rand49an 4y ago
    Because WiFi is only trying to fix one problem: connect your device to a local network. Bluetooth has hundreds of different use-cases.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      >Bluetooth has hundreds of different use-cases. That is probably true but part of the problem is that, as I recall from years of Intel Developer Forums, Bluetooth was originally focused on mobile headsets and there were a bunch of other wireless technologies floating around for other purposes. However, for whatever historical reasons, Bluetooth through a number of iterations pretty much ended up gobbling up all the non-WiFi wireless use cases (other than cellular and NFC of course). And it arguably wasn't really suited for a lot of them.
- zachallaun 4y ago
  One of my favorite wireless devices is a Logitech gaming mouse (G903) that I use with a mousepad that is also a charging mat. It uses a low-latency proprietary wireless protocol: https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/innovation/lightspeed.html https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/innovation/lightspeed.html
rhacker 4y ago
I don't think you explained why you disagree. If it's difficult, why is that wrong, why do you disagree?
- david927 4y ago
  I think it's the same reason why so much of our software is poor quality: taking something from "works" to "works well" is a cost sink. It will cost you and yet doesn't add much to the bottom line to compensate. Basically, there's a gap between "it works" and "it's effortless" and that's a pricey gap that doesn't net you a lot in return financially.
stinkledinkle 4y ago
I think this hits the nail on the head. A device developer will develop a bluetooth gadget. They test it, it works, but they know it's not great. But they know that when a consumer buys it, none of that matters as long as they buy the product and don't return it. So the trick is to make sure you have a nice feature set which works well enough so that you can gaslight consumers into thinking the failure is their fault. So if it only works half the time, that's fine. Just tell them to turn their bluetooth off and on or to reboot their device. It'll probably fix it and now they think they are at fault.

PaulHoule 4y ago

My experience is that better quality Bluetooth headsets can handle being paired to multiple devices, cheaper ones will drive you crazy. I have these on my head right now at the office https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/crossfade2-wireless https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/crossfade2-wireless and I have a pair of these at home https://www.poly.com/us/en/products/headsets/voyager/voyager-focus-uc https://www.poly.com/us/en/products/headsets/voyager/voyager... I wound up getting these after having been deeply dissatisfied with Bluetooth headphones and I think they've been a very good investment. My current complaining is about the host devices. My work laptop is a thin Dell Latitude, the performance of Bluetooth is great on that, in a metal frame office building I am able to listen to audio in the bathroom a considerable distance from my office. My personal computer is a huge Alienware (also Dell). Bluetooth is OK when I am sitting directly in front of it but if I go to the next room it only works if I am careful to tilt my head the right way. I think it's a poor radio and/or a badly designed antenna. Apple devices on the other hand seem to refuse to play music over WiFi with Bluetooth. Most people don't seem aware of this because they use iPhones with cellular connections but I can't do it with my iPad and we always have visitors to our cell phone dead spot (most of upstate NY) try to play streaming music from their phone to bluetooth speakers and fail.

georgeecollins 4y ago
>> My experience is that better quality Bluetooth headsets can handle being paired to multiple devices, cheaper ones will drive you crazy. I have these on my head right now at the office My experience as well-- just gonna put a little plug here in for the Jabra Elite bluetooth headset, that works really well for me.
curioussavage 4y ago
I listen to my phone/AirPods daily over Wi-Fi and cellular and walk up to 3 floors away from the phone to my basement with barely a stutter.
fragmede 4y ago
Most people aren't aware of that because it isn't a thing. Listening to music and podcasts on an iphone, streamed via WiFi, then resent via Bluetooth to airpods works just fine for me. I can't say why you're having problems with it though

noir_lord 4y ago

> It's sad that my family uses the available Bluetooth devices less than if there was a wire we could just plug into. I specifically buy wired gaming headphones, wired mice and wired keyboards - if there is any sensible wired option I'll take it every time, I even have an extra long network cable I can throw across the living room for the laptop. Wireless stuff is just less reliable and always seems to throw issues when you really need it to work.

david927 4y ago
We specifically got a printer that only can connect via a USB cable and it's been perfect. But that's not the answer. Why? It's not that much data. WiFi doesn't seem to have some of these problems. Why is Bluetooth so shit?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- rand49an 4y ago
  Because WiFi is only trying to fix one problem: connect your device to a local network. Bluetooth has hundreds of different use-cases.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    >Bluetooth has hundreds of different use-cases. That is probably true but part of the problem is that, as I recall from years of Intel Developer Forums, Bluetooth was originally focused on mobile headsets and there were a bunch of other wireless technologies floating around for other purposes. However, for whatever historical reasons, Bluetooth through a number of iterations pretty much ended up gobbling up all the non-WiFi wireless use cases (other than cellular and NFC of course). And it arguably wasn't really suited for a lot of them.
zachallaun 4y ago
One of my favorite wireless devices is a Logitech gaming mouse (G903) that I use with a mousepad that is also a charging mat. It uses a low-latency proprietary wireless protocol: https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/innovation/lightspeed.html https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/innovation/lightspeed.html

rhacker 4y ago

I don't think you explained why you disagree. If it's difficult, why is that wrong, why do you disagree?

david927 4y ago
I think it's the same reason why so much of our software is poor quality: taking something from "works" to "works well" is a cost sink. It will cost you and yet doesn't add much to the bottom line to compensate. Basically, there's a gap between "it works" and "it's effortless" and that's a pricey gap that doesn't net you a lot in return financially.

stinkledinkle 4y ago

I think this hits the nail on the head. A device developer will develop a bluetooth gadget. They test it, it works, but they know it's not great. But they know that when a consumer buys it, none of that matters as long as they buy the product and don't return it. So the trick is to make sure you have a nice feature set which works well enough so that you can gaslight consumers into thinking the failure is their fault. So if it only works half the time, that's fine. Just tell them to turn their bluetooth off and on or to reboot their device. It'll probably fix it and now they think they are at fault.