(April 19, 2002) Might Bluetooth at last have reached its "tipping point," the point at which it finally makes it into the hearts and minds of ordinary folks…not to mention their keyboards, mice, and PCs?

Yesterday Microsoft announced that the answer to that question may soon be a resounding yes. As part of the MS vision of the fast-emerging "ecosystem" of connected devices, Microsoft Corp chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates has announced that, courtesy of Windows XP, the world of PCs will soon be Bluetooth-enabled.

Already in 2002, Gates announced, a USB Bluetooth transceiver capable of handling up to seven Bluetooth devices will be available, and this plus the inclusion of Bluetooth support in Windows XP means that Bluetooth is finally arriving in the PC world. Cables will be a thing of the past as PC owners start hooking up their PCs, PDAs, cellphones, and printers as personal area networks (PANs), connected wirelessly using shortwave Bluetooth technology.

"Just a few years ago the PC was a standalone device used simply for personal productivity," said Gates. "Today, its versatility is unmatched: it helps us learn, communicate, be entertained, run businesses and work smarter than ever. It’s also becoming the ‘command center’ for an increasing and dazzling array of smart devices. We expect that trend to accelerate throughout this Digital Decade, as the standalone PC, TV, telephone and associated devices are replaced by a world of interconnected user experiences."

Gates unveiled what MS claims is the world’s first commercially available Bluetooth-enabled wireless mouse and keyboard desktop solution. Plus Microsoft will release a Windows XP software development kit (SDK) for Bluetooth, he said. The SDK will be available as early as next month to aid hardware and software developers building Bluetooth-compatible devices for Windows XP.

"Of course," notes WBT's Security Editor and renowned Bluetooth expert Bill Ray, "this technology has been available for years, and Bluetooth devices working under Windows is nothing new, so Microsoft's decision to include a Bluetooth API in Windows XP is unsurprising."

"It really should have been there when XP was launched," says Ray. "Certainly this will make developing Bluetooth applications much easier, and mean that applications won’t have to be tailored to specific hardware as is currently the case. Hopefully we'll see a more comprehensive API for WinCE in the near future (as opposed to the very basic functionality specified in PocketPC.NET), where Bluetooth will become increasingly important."

"This announcement also reflects Microsoft’s intention for the PC to become the hub of the working, and living, environment," Ray adds."Bluetooth is much more than a protocol for wireless synchronization and until we actually see the full specification from Microsoft we won’t know if they yet recognize this."