IOGEAR USB 2.1 Bluetooth Micro Adapter (GBU421)
by IOGEAR
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List Price: Our Price: $9.99 You Save: $6.96 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of IOGEAR USB 2.1 Bluetooth Micro Adapter (GBU421)
Customer Review: Win 7 user and it works great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am using a Win7 laptop and I will say this thing works great! I know there are some reviews out there for this product saying it doesn't work but the problem is Win7 removed Bluetooth from the OS for some reason. If you search for the bluetooth stack installer you can download it and then put bluetooth back in Win7. It's an easy process, not sure why Microsoft removed bluetooth from Win7 but that's not the point of this review, point is once you install the bluetooth stack it works great!
Now for this dongle, it is very small and I love it hardly sticks out the side of my laptops USB port. I bought this because I use a laptop at work and we have to lock our computers everytime we step away from them, I have a tendnacy to forget to do this and I found a free program called "Phoenix Freeze" (google it) and it allows you to pair your bluetooth phone to your computer, then when you are within range your computer is unlocked, as soon as you step out of range it auto locks itself. It's a great program and this little dongle works perfectly with it!
The only "con" that I can think of is that it really is very small and is sometimes hard to grip if you need to remove it. It doesn't come out, you just have to firmly be able to grab it. But then again I never take it out so it's not that big of a deal for me.
I am very happy with this little device. It does exactly what I need.
Customer Review: Awesome and so simple to use
Summary: 5 Stars
Long story short, the most difficult thing about installing this product is getting it out of the blister pack in the first place.
The provided instructions (you can actually download or read the manual on the web while you're waiting for the Bluetooth dongle to arrive) are very clear, the install is a snap....but you've read other reviews and know that already.
Here's the true beauty of this tiny piece of hardware. It links to practically everything! Because it is not only Bluetooth 2.0 compliant but also backward compatible to Bluetooth 1.1 and also supports stereo audio you won't have any issues connecting to a Bluetooth mouse or stereo headset.
Within minutes of the install I had the little (and I mean tiny) GBU421 linked to my Motorola cell phone (audio and dialing from the laptop, no need to ever get the phone out of pocket or purse), a PDA, Garmin GPS Mobile10, Bluetooth headset and a mouse. The crazy thing is IOGear has managed to make this thing work with all the above simultaneously.
Anyone considering a 'look alike' Bluetooth dongle featured by some eBay and other sellers, don't bother. Either they aren't 2.0 or aren't backward compatible (you lose the use of most Bluetooth mice) won't handle stereo audio and sometimes all the above.
Very impressive IOGear...and did I mention it's really tiny?
Cheers
Customer Review: My favorite new toy
Summary: 5 Stars
IOGear USB 2.1 Bluetooth Micro Adapter GBU421
I read the reviews for this adapter before purchasing and was concerned because some customers had problems with installation and use. I installed the adapter software from the included cd on my PC running Windows Vista 32 bit. The installation process took quite a while (could have been my computer running slowly) but after everything was installed, I was able to pair my wireless headset and my cell phone. After approving the connections, I was able to use the headset to make computer to computer calls and transfer photos from my cell phone to my PC.
Previous reviewers commented that the instructions and installation cd included with the adapter were out of date. At the time of my install (Feb. 2010) this issue seems to have been fixed. I inserted the cd, followed the prompts and was able to pair and use my devices immediately. At this time the adapter does not confict with my wireless internet (as another reviewer commented) but I'm being watchful for any problems.
The size of the adapter is also a big plus. No larger than my thumbnail, it can be used in any USB port withough blocking other ports.
I'm very happy with my new bluetooth adapter.
Customer Review: Installs easily, works great on my Mac Pro
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a early 2007 Mac Pro and I didn't have the foresight (or, at the time the need) for getting the Build to Order option of Bluetooth. It hasn't really become much of an issue but I recently was given an Apple Magic Mouse as a gift and wanted to give it a spin so I picked up this due to it's size and ability to plug and play.
Currently it's installed on the side USB port of one of my Dell 2407 monitors. Works great and the blue blinking indicator is hidden from my view. I plugged it in and it immediately was picked up by Mac OS X (I'm using 10.6 for reference). I paired my mouse to it and was off and running. Didn't need to install drivers or anything. Plugged it in and forgot about it. So far, after a month or two of usage it's as if it's not even there. The only annoying thing is when I reboot the computer (which is rarely) the system says a new network device has been detected and asks if I want to configure it. The problem is there's nothing to configure (it's just a USB dongle after all). Other than that minor annoyance I can't even tell it's there.
I can't speak for PC users (haven't tried it under Boot Camp yet) but if you're a Mac user who doesn't have Bluetooth on-board I'd highly suggest this little device. Cheap, works great, nice and small.
Customer Review: Full Review: IOGear vs. Cirago
Summary: 5 Stars
I have purchased both the Cirago and this IOGear. Both work perfectly with Windows XP and Vista. The Bluetooth drivers auto load and it makes sharing files and pairing very easy. On your task bar will be a BT icon that you right click for a list of options. The IOGear claims to work with MAC but the Cirago doesn't. I don't have a MAC so I do not know if this is true or not (Sorry). The Cirago has a brighter blue light than the IOGear. Also, the IOGear is smaller (But not by much). Both are so small in size they can be left in the USB slot and not removed. The IOGear is easier to remove from the slot than the Cirago (it is the shape of the exposed area that determines this). Here is one other interesting thought. Take a look at the picture of the IOGear. When plugged into the USB the metal part slides all the way in so only the black plastic area is sticking out. That is nice, eh? The Cirago goes in the same but sticks out just a little more than the IOGear (Some metal exposed). However, both function perfectly with USB BT 2.0 and early versions 1.0 & 1.1! Both are backwards compatible. The range doesn't seem to be different - I have tested both from 20 feet and they work (Document sent to printer). You choose.