The Zoom Bluetooth Adaptors plug into a laptop computer or PDA to provide a wireless connection to another Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a modem, mobile phone, headset or... more
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to another Bluetooth-enabled device, such as an audio system receiver, amodem, mobile phone, headset, computer, PDA or peripheral. The 4312AF Bluetooth adapter is a Class 1 Bluetooth device, which allows it to provide a range of up to 100 meters (330 feet)*, the longest range provided underthe Bluetooth standard. Zoom's Class 1 Bluetooth device will communicate with allother Bluetooth devices, including Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 devices. Whenconnecting to Class 2 and Class 3 devices, Zoom Bluetooth adapters are limited tothe shorter range of the less powerful Bluetooth devices on the other end of thetransmission.The unit is Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR compliant, which increases speed, reducesbattery consumption and allows superior performance in the presence of interferencefrom 802.11 wirelesss devices and other 2.4GHz radios. It supports throughputof up to 3 megabits per second, the maximum allowed by the Bluetooth version2.0 + EDR standard.The Model 4312AF is a PC Card which plugs into the PC Card slot of a Windows XP,Me, 2000, or 98SE computer and supports the newer Bluetooth multi-media profiles:A2DP, AVRCP, and GAVDP.All Zoom Bluetooth adapters come complete with a software installation wizard whichmakes setup of the Bluetooth protocol stack fast and easy.The Bluetooth Piconet protocol supports concurrent connections with up to seven otherBluetooth devices. Security is ensured with the implementation of a Bluetooth securitykey and data encryption. Each Zoom Bluetooth adapter contains a unique link keythat prevents unauthorized access to the attached computer. The key is transmitted in asecure environment to prevent interception. Unlike an 802.11 b/g wireless device,Bluetooth wireless links are not susceptible to eavesdropping and false authentication.Zoom Bluetooth adapters carry a two-year warranty. Documentatio
to another Bluetooth-enabled device, such as an audio system receiver, a modem, mobile phone, headset, computer, PDA or peripheral. The 4312AF Bluetooth adapter is a Class 1 Bluetooth device, which allows it to provide a range of up to 100 meters (330 feet)*, the longest range provided under the Bluetooth standard. Zoom's Class 1 Bluetooth device will communicate with all other Bluetooth devices, including Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 devices. When connecting to Class 2 and Class 3 devices, Zoom Bluetooth adapters are limited to the shorter range of the less powerful Bluetooth devices on the other end of the transmission. The unit is Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR compliant, which increases speed, reduces battery consumption and allows superior performance in the presence of interference from 802.11 wirelesss devices and other 2.4GHz radios. It supports throughput of up to 3 megabits per second, the maximum allowed by the Bluetooth version 2.0 + EDR standard. The Model 4312AF is a PC Card which plugs into the PC Card slot of a Windows XP, Me, 2000, or 98SE computer and supports the newer Bluetooth multi-media profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, and GAVDP. All Zoom Bluetooth adapters come complete with a software installation wizard which makes setup of the Bluetooth protocol stack fast and easy. The Bluetooth Piconet protocol supports concurrent connections with up to seven other Bluetooth devices. Security is ensured with the implementation of a Bluetooth security key and data encryption. Each Zoom Bluetooth adapter contains a unique link key that prevents unauthorized access to the attached computer. The key is transmitted in a secure environment to prevent interception. Unlike an 802.11 b/g wireless device, Bluetooth wireless links are not susceptible to eavesdropping and false authentication. Zoom Bluetooth adapters carry a two-year warranty. Documentatio
A review by grovej on ZOOM 4312 Bluetooth PC Card Adapter September 19th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Speed
Fast
Ease of Installation
Poor - time consuming and not very logical
Ease of use
Awkward
Reliability
Good
Value For Money
Satisfactory
Advantages:
Better than a USB Dongle
Disadvantages:
Cost and the software is not easy
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
My new laptop the HP Pavilion zv6065ea had one feature missing, Bluetooth which I accepted when I brought the machine. So I needed connectivity for my mobile phone and the search was on for a Bluetooth device. I looked at the USB key types which are cheap but protrude, as I wanted something that I could leave in the laptop and didn't protrude a PCMCIA card was the answer this is what led me to the Zoom 4312 Bluetooth card.
-----------The Card-----------
The card is a standard PCMCIA card and fits in a card slot very neatly. There is very little that protrudes outside of the slot, only the blue flashing indicator and the small aerial stub. The card is one of the more powerful Bluetooth devices with a claimed range of 100m, I have not tested this claim, but I suspect by the fact that the card has an aerial that it will achieve a good range.
You can tell when the card is active as there is a blue flashing LED on the edge of the card this extends past the edge of the PCMCIA slot by around ½ a cm. The light can be seen if looking for it but is not obtrusive and certainly does light up the room at night.
Also on the edge of the card is a pull out aerial which I think is required to achieve the 100m quoted range for Bluetooth. When pulled out there is a positive click that locks the aerial into place, there is an elbow where the aerial can be directed to a specific orientation. One issue I have found with my card is that the screw that is on the elbow of the aerial often works lose which means that the aerial flops down, a small Philips screwdriver is all that is required to tighten it up, but it can be annoying.
-----------The Software-----------
The software that comes with the card is quite functional and allows you as expected to assign a name to the device and chose between a laptop and desktop. It the takes you through a device configuration wizard where you can select the functions that you want to provide from the computer, the functions that can be chosen are below:
PIM Synch File Transfer Network Access Dial Up Networking Bluetooth Serial Port Fax Audio Gateway Headset
Once you have selected which services you want the software carries out a scan to see what Bluetooth devices it can discover. Once discovered you can select the services that the device that has been discovered can support. After the services have been added the device can be connected to by right clicking the Bluetooth icon in the system tray and clicking the required service.
The software adds a "My Bluetooth Places" to Windows explorer where new devices can be added after the initial wizard has been run.
On the whole the software takes a little bit of tweaking to get it right and make things work well. It has taken me quite a while to get my new SonyEricsson mobile to connect correctly, my previous phone a Nokia was far easier, but once done it all works well.
-----------Price and Availability-----------
I purchased my card from PC World for £40 not cheap compared to a USB device but I specifically wanted a PCMCIA card as it is a lot easier for me as I don't have to keep disconnecting it when I move my laptop around. I did have a look on the web to see if I could get the card cheaper anywhere else but PC World was as cheap as anywhere else.
-----------Conclusion-----------
The card is not as cheap as a USB device, about twice the price. The software can be a little troublesome with certain devices but on the whole once configured for your device works well and allows all the functionality you would expect from a Bluetooth card.
I would suggest that if you specifically want a PCMCIA Bluetooth card then there may be others that are better value, but if you cant find an alternative then the Zoom card is ok, just be prepared to spend some time configuring it.
The Zoom Bluetooth Adaptors plug into a laptop computer or PDA to provide a wireless connection to another Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a modem, mobile phone, headset or peripheral. Zoom Bluetooth adaptors are Class 1 Bluetooth devices; this allows them to provide a range of up to 100 meters (330 feet) and support the maximum allowed Bluetooth data throughput of 723, 000 bits per second. The Model 4312 is a PC Card adaptor, which plugs into the PC Card slot of a Windows computer. Both implement the Bluetooth Piconet protocol, which supports concurrent connections with up to seven other Bluetooth devices
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support: 2 years warranty
Service & Support Details: Limited warranty - 2 years
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