Wi-Fi vs. Bluetooth
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are basically two technologies (protocols) used to exchange data via wireless.
Both words are heard everywhere, but which should you use? What are the main differences to choose one over the other? Here is a list of technical differences, I will address the issue from another point of view:
Wi-Fi equipment is used to connect to the Internet and Bluetooth is used to interconnect computers together without cables:
Could Wi-Fi connect two PCs together through the Internet? Yes.
Could we use Bluetooth to connect to a modem/router and hence have access to the Internet? Yes.
If both technologies maintain this level of scalability, which should we choose to install a wireless network?
To use systems/applications for Bluetooth one would have to install a Java Virtual Machine (translator to use certain types of programs) in each of the devices, although the majority of mobile phones today have it already installed for games.
To use Wi-Fi, devices must be able to read TCP/IP protocols and be able to read HTML, basically understand the Internet, with the advantage that once you do that, you’ll have access to any system/application/web page.
Developing Bluetooth uses Java, a technology fairly reliable, but very specific. It is not so easy to find Java developers and are it is not cheap.
For Wi-Fi there is a lot of technologies and you can use them together if you keep a clean development using SOA and MVC. Finally you can get very good developers/designers without much expense.
Bluetooth has a higher cost of development and maintenance, in addition, applications develped for Bluetooth will only work for the devices they were created. Wi-Fi has far more usability because it has the advantage that applications are used on the Internet, not specifically by device. Developing and mantainence is cheaper as well. Wi-Fi seems to me like the best option.
Why is Bluetooth technology (protocol) so popular today?
Let’s see it this way:
Who are the major companies rooting for Bluetooth?
It is most commonly used in cell phones, most of the mobile phones have the Java VM incorporated.
Why are Sony-Ericcson, Motorola, Nokia and others so concerned in boosting such technology?
The latest devices using Wi-Fi are now able to incorporate real-time communication through the Internet, this eliminates the use of traditional mobile phones. Let’s say that I have invested a lot in this type of telephony, enough to put satellites around the earth (I don’t think this is cheap), would’t it be a problem that the use of IP telephony turned down everything I invested in?
It is obvious that such companies would have to boost one type of wireless technology that would not to send to hell traditional mobile phones. That is why there are big companies rooting for Bluetooth, they do not want to lose everything they have invested.
Cheers,
Gorka