You'd expect a modern, high-tech operating system like Mac OS X to come with Bluetooth drivers. You'd be right, but Apple has gone a step further: Tiger comes with a System Preferences pane and a utility application to help your Mac connect with the Bluetooth devices that are probably hanging out in your coat pockets.
The Bluetooth pane in System Preferences allows you to do the following:
- Set up new Bluetooth devices: Click the Devices tab and then click Setup New Device to run the Bluetooth Setup Assistant, which configures Bluetooth devices for use with Tiger.
- Configure Bluetooth connections: Click the Sharing tab to create, remove, enable, or disable your Bluetooth connections, using them as virtual serial ports (for the simple transfer of data) or virtual modems (for bidirectional transfers, such as using an Internet connection through a Bluetooth cell phone). The two types of data exchange that you can enable or disable from this tab are as follows:
• File transfers: Bluetooth devices can browse the folder that you specify and receive files from your Mac.
• File exchanges: Your laptop can browse and receive files from Bluetooth devices.
If you know you won't be using Bluetooth devices while you're on the road, disabling a Bluetooth service on a laptop can help conserve battery power.
The other Bluetooth resource that you can use is the stand-alone application Bluetooth File Exchange.You'll have to launch BFE the old-fashioned way - it's located in your Utilities folder, inside your Applications folder. Much like a traditional FTP application, double-clicking the Bluetooth File Exchange icon presents you with a file selection dialog box - you're choosing the file(s) you want to send to the connected Bluetooth device! You can also elect to browse the files on a networked Bluetooth device so that you can see what the owner of that device is offering.
The Bluetooth icon appears in the System Preferences window only if your laptop has Bluetooth hardware.
You can also set up your defaults for file exchanges from the Bluetooth pane in System Preferences. Here you can control what Tiger does when you receive files or Personal Information Manager (PIM) data with Bluetooth File Exchange. For instance, with these settings, Tiger can do the following:
- Prompt you for permission to receive each file or PIM item
- Accept all files and PIM items without restriction or prompting
- Save all incoming files and items to the folder that you specify
- Offer only the files and items in the folder that you specify when other Bluetooth items browse your Mac
