Can't find the bluetooth hardware on my notebook? Acer Aspire 3620

[thefed]

This laptop has bluetooth...the light used to come on all the time

Now that I want it, pushing the button wont work. I downloaded all drivers from Acer's website, and the software is fine...but it does not detect the bluetooth device

Soo....i figure i can BUY a USB bluetooth device, but I want to use the one already in the computer!!

Any ideas?

[Janet H]

Generally, you have to put the device you are trying to sync with in some kind of pairing mode. Then you have to direct your laptop to find/search/pair with the device in question.

To get your laptop started...
>start
>my bluetooth places
Select the menu option that seems to fit..


It's usually a PITA - good luck

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Go to start (or 'ball') control panel, see if you have anything for bluetooth devices.

I have an acer, and IIRC it said it has bluetooth, and it has a button, and I could have sworn it lit up once and said something about setting up bluetooth, but I havent been able to get it to do anything since then and I'm thinking it doesnt actually have bluetooth, just a button. Seems Acer is fond of putting bluetooth buttons on their machines but not installing the actual radio.

I havent looked at it too hard though, but I probably will today cuz my wife has some pictures on her bluetooth cell phone that I have to get off of there.

[thefed]

i goto control panel, theres an icon for bluetooth. i click it and it says

"Bluetooth device not found. be sure the device is plugged in"

Then nothing

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Then you aint got it. Neither does mine, at least in attempting to reinstall the driver it says theres no bluetooth.

On digging out the box it came in, I see that it says "Bluetooth capable!!!". Which means theres actually no bluetooth in it, but you could conceivably buy one and install it. Nice.

But like you, I could swear that on the initial couple of boots I pushed the button, it lit up and said something about no bluetooth devices available, and I interpreted that to mean nothing for it to connect to, not nothing in the laptop to connect with.

Oh well, what did I expect for $549.

[OAG]

This says "no" under blue tooth: Acer Aspire 3620 series (Celeron M 370 Processor 1.5GHz, 256MB RAM) - Notebook Specs - CNET Asia

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny Oh well, what did I expect for $549.

Sounds like you expected to get Bluetooth!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know - you can buy the HW for $30 or so, install it and the drivers and it's still a good deal.

You set yourself up - I had to go for it


-ERD50

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Glad one of us thinks they got something out of that very useful contribution, whatever that was...

I guess I could have paid $1800 for a macbook pro with pretty much the exact same specifications, although that would come with the bluetooth capability.

Turns out I was able to connect the razr to my laptop with a USB cable and use some guys homebrew software app to download the photos off of it. But gosh, theres no mac version of that software.

Thats a good thing, because apparently the RAZR's bluetooth capability is crippled unless you spend $35 on the motorola software to hook it up to a computer. And DOH! Theres no mac version of that either!

There, now we both got something out of it.

You're doing a great job, Brownie.

[ERD50]

Geez you are touchy CFB! I never mentioned Apple, just that you apparently expected to get Bluetooth and you didn't. That's all.

But FYI, Bluetooth isn't crippled on my daughter's RAZR. It works just fine with her Apple MacBook that comes standard with Bluetooth - no software required, it just recognized it, and she transferred pics from the phone to her computer no problem.

-ERD50

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You definitely sold me on the $1300 price difference.

BTW, that only works on some RAZR's, and only with OSX 10.4 and up.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny You definitely sold me on the $1300 price difference. BTW, that only works on some RAZR's, and only with OSX 10.4 and up.

Well, it worked on mine. That's all I'm saying.

I'm not trying to 'sell' you on anything. Value is in the eye of the buyer. If you don't think Apples are a good value proposition, I have some simple advice for you - don't buy one.

Not sure how you come up with a $1300 price difference, since I paid $999 for that MacBook (edu price), $1099 'regular' price.

But please let me know how to legally get someone to pay me a couple hundred bucks to take a brand new in-warranty Acer Laptop off their hands. I'm looking for a machine to load Linux on, and give it a spin. While I generally prefer Apples to WinTel, I really don't like the limits of either platform. I'm hoping to find a Linux distro that I like, just haven't invested the time yet. A brand new WinTel laptop and some cash would inspire me.

-ERD50

[thefed]

acers website says that if the blue light comes on, its because bluetooth is transmitting. i also have the bluetooth logo on the bottom of the pc


oh well, no biggie. i ordered the usb cable for my new phone along with a car charger off ebay....so all i need is a micro SD card and I have an mp3 player with me at all times-pretty neat....another way to FRY my battery

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 Not sure how you come up with a $1300 price difference, since I paid $999 for that MacBook (edu price), $1099 'regular' price.

I havent seen any macbooks with a high res 17" screen, and mine has the same specs as the macbook pro. That costs $1800-ish and thats on sale.

Throw in that no longer very funny line about steely dan and french benefits.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny I havent seen any macbooks with a high res 17" screen...

17" Screen? I thought the thread was about the Acer Aspire 3620, which, based on the link above has a 14.1" screen, and specs mostly below the $1099 MacBook. I guess that's an old model, so comparisons are probably meaningless anyhow.

When I seriously try to compare HW, it gets tough, even though Apple is on Intel architecture now. Configurations vary, and it is really up to the individual to determine if that feature is important to them or not. For example, is a 17" screen 'better' than a 13.3" screen? Maybe not if size, weight and battery life is what you are after.

Since the Dell XPS 1330 was just mentioned on the 'Notebook with big monitor' thread, - that looks in the ballpark of the MacBook. When I tried to configure them as close as I could (2.2 Ghz C2D, 1GB, 56 WHr battery, 120GB, CD/DVD burner, add BlueTooth), they came within about $75 of each other (before any dell coupon clipping) - $1224/$1299. No HDMI on the MacBook - so maybe there is a better match? Point is, I don't think the $$ differences are always as great as many assume. But if you find a bargain you like in the Wintel world, and that's your thing, that's great.

Now that we are in the political season, I can look at it this way - I have my preferences, but I really am not thrilled with either of the two main 'parties' (Bill & Steve). I'm rooting for the third party candidate (Linux).

-ERD50

[twaddle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 (before any dell coupon clipping) - $1224/$1299

Nobody buys a Dell without coupon clipping.

In the outlet today, there were M1330's going for under $600 after coupon.

I wasn't even in the market for a new machine, but sometimes Dell sucks me in anyway with their evil deals.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twaddle Nobody buys a Dell without coupon clipping. In the outlet today, there were M1330's going for under $600 after coupon.

OK, can you link me to one that matches the config of the MacBook? The base units have 1.5GHz/667Mhz FSB, 2MB Cache CPU, so if that is the $600 unit, not really a match to the 2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB, 4MB Cache I spec'd out above.

You'll certainly get no argument from me that there are cheaper offers out there than Apple. But I find when you try to match configs, the difference isn't as great as many people think. Choice is good.

-ERD50

[twaddle]

Well, what I like about Dell is that I have lots of configuration options and they eventually offer deals that knock 40-50% off their list price.

But, if you insist, I'll play your game. I configured a MacBook with 2.2GHz CPU, 4GB RAM, 250GB drive, and 3-year warranty. Price came out to $2748, and they didn't offer nearly as many options as Dell.

I configured the M1330 on Dell's site with their current built-in discount but without any additional coupons (which are out there). The price came to $1624. $1100 cheaper than the Apple.

Let me know if you actually want to buy one, and I'll tell you how you can add a 12% discount stacked with a 10% coupon to that deal.

[ERD50]

4GB RAM? Does Vista need that much RAM? If I ever did want that much, I would go 3rd party, not buy it from Apple anyhow.

How about something a but more common and closer to the base config of each, which is plenty for most people: 2 or 2.2 G CD2, 1G RAM, 120G HD, etc. Personally, I don't even want a DVD burner in a laptop - I have an external burner, and I use it so seldom I'd rather keep one burner, and upgrade it when I want rather than upgrade each separate computer I have - but that is just me.

Closer to the base configs - how much difference?

But I agree with you on one point (and is a pretty major frustration I have with Apple), you can do a lot more configuring with Dell (or others). Sometimes this is important, other times, what Apple has fits my needs pretty close, so no big deal. For example, the entry level MacBook at $999 edu fit my kids college needs very well. Not too little, not too much. But I really don't like their iMac desktop offerings.

I would prefer if I could buy a retail OSX, and choose my hardware from others.

-ERD50

[OAG]

twaddle - Ok, would you PM me with the 12% over 10% coupon information. I am in the market for a Dell note/lap top computer too. Thanks.

[twaddle]

ERD50, I'm sure that Apple computers are just as good as Dells. In fact, most of them are made and designed by the same Taiwanese ODMs. The difference between the two companies is in sales and marketing strategies. Apple goes for the high-margin Lexus market. Dell tries to do that too with their XPS brand, but at the same time they offer lots of deals for the bargain shopper. Apple rarely offers that depth of deals and discounts.

And of course, Dell is famous for their configuration options. The XPS M1330 I bought yesterday includes a solid-state disk drive (SSD) and LED backlight -- features I wanted to play with, but not available in most lappies. And Dell makes them options rather than requirements. And I can easily return the thing if I don't like it. I would have no problem buying from Apple if they gave me the same discounts and flexibility.

R Wood, PM sent.