Having used Windows Mobile devices since 1997 when the Handheld PCs running Windows CE (still the core engine underneath the Windows Mobile shell) had been out for just a few months, I sometimes forget that things that seem obvious to Windows Mobile enthusiasts may not be obvious to other people. So, I’ll pontificate 🙂 talk about some real basic type topics here now and then to try to help people who haven’t spent the past decade playing with these things.
Back in May I posted a short video to YouTube titled T-Mobile Dash WM6 Bluetooth ActiveSync demonstrating syncing with my PC using BT. I received an email from viewer ZTT asking:
hello, so on active sync you just have to turn bluetooth on and how does it connect to the computer? does the computer have to be bluetooth??
Oy! Good question. Microsoft ActiveSync and Bluetooth (BT) are two of the most problematic basic tech items I know of. They shouldn’t be. But, they are.
First, yes, your desktop or notebook computer must have a Bluetooth radio in order to sync with a Windows Mobile device over Bluetooth. Unlike Apple Macs (which all have BT these days), very few desktop and notebook Windows PCs come with an intergrated Bluetooth radio. Some notebooks have the option have adding an integrated BT radio at the time of purchase. If your Windows PC does not have BT, BT dongles are fairly inexpensive these days.
You need to partner your Windows Mobile device with the PC using a USB cable the first time. If all goes well, you should be able to configure ActiveSync and the WiMo device to sync over BT. I have an earlier blog entry that details this process. It can be found at…