Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
2.9
Use the Select Items to Migrate dialog to choose the data you want to transfer to MacBook Air.
Working with Bluetooth Devices
MacBook Air is already configured to use a wireless technology called Bluetooth. In the rest of this chapter, I
cover what Bluetooth is; how to connect MacBook Air with various Bluetooth devices, such as a mouse, key-
board, and headset; and how to exchange files using MacBook Air's Bluetooth capabilities.
In theory, connecting Bluetooth devices should be criminally easy. You turn on each device's Bluetooth feature
(in Bluetooth jargon, you make the devices discoverable), bring them within 33 feet of each other, and they con-
nect without further ado. In practice, however, there's usually at least a bit of further ado (and sometimes plenty
of it). This usually takes one or both of the following forms:
Making your device discoverable.
Unlike Wi-Fi devices that broadcast their signals constantly, most
Bluetooth devices broadcast their availability only when you say so. This makes sense in many cases because
you usually only want to use a Bluetooth device, such as a mouse or a keyboard, with a single computer. By
controlling when the device is discoverable, you ensure that it works only with the computer you want it to.
Pairing MacBook Air and the device.
As a security precaution, many Bluetooth devices need to be paired
with another device before the connection is established. In most cases, the pairing is accomplished by
MacBook Air generating a multidigit passkey that you must type into the Bluetooth device (assuming, of
course, that it has some kind of keypad). In other cases, the device comes with a default passkey that you must
enter into MacBook Air to set up the pairing. Finally, some devices set up an automatic pairing using an empty
passkey.
Connecting Bluetooth devices
Using a wireless device is a blissful state because, with no cord to tie you down, it gives you the freedom to in-
teract with MacBook Air from just about anywhere. Wi-Fi devices are often cumbersome because they require a
separate transceiver. These tend to be large and they also take up a USB port. However, because MacBook Air
already has Bluetooth, you don't need anything else to use a Bluetooth-compatible device.
