No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 05:07 PM
Is the absence of Bluetooth predicated on the workings of the optical drive or something else, e.g., were one to install a Bluetooth player, would it (otherwise) work?
Re: No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 06:51 PM
Originally Posted By: Pendragon
...the absence of Bluetooth...
I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to get at.
Are you asking about using Bluetooth devices with Macs without it, or with Macs that have it but where it is (or seems to be) non-functional? Apart from that, any player may work in and by itself, but if you need the Bluetooth connectivity, obviously that part needs to work too on either side of the connection.
Re: No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 07:24 PM
Do you mean Blu-ray?
Re: No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 08:30 PM
I bet Blu-ray‘s what Pendragon meant, it makes much more sense. 
The answer then would be: maybe. Playing Blu-ray disks requires both hardware (player) and software/drivers. The former is available, but the latter is more of an issue, since Apple doesn’t support the format and seems to want to skip it altogether. Apart from running Windows on sufficiently recent Macs to play BR disks, there are some (partial) workarounds under Mac OS X, as mentioned in this thread.
The answer then would be: maybe. Playing Blu-ray disks requires both hardware (player) and software/drivers. The former is available, but the latter is more of an issue, since Apple doesn’t support the format and seems to want to skip it altogether. Apart from running Windows on sufficiently recent Macs to play BR disks, there are some (partial) workarounds under Mac OS X, as mentioned in this thread.
Re: No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 09:25 PM
Arrgh. Indeed I did mean Blu-ray. Maxima Mea Culpa.
Of course, my thanks for your indulgence and insight.
While I am not a strident advocate of Blu-ray, I am a bit surprised that it is not, at least, a BTO option (along with a matte display). Alas, His Steveness doesn't call, doesn't write...
Of course, my thanks for your indulgence and insight.
While I am not a strident advocate of Blu-ray, I am a bit surprised that it is not, at least, a BTO option (along with a matte display). Alas, His Steveness doesn't call, doesn't write...
Re: No Bluetooth in Macs - 07/27/10 10:00 PM
am a bit surprised that it is not, at least, a BTO option
I very much doubt Apple would let you CTO a piece of hardware without the software that supports it. Macs can read blurays, the file format is old standard, but the files themselves are encrypted, and the cartels that have the keys have some pretty absurd demands before they'll give you a key. You think it's bad enough that you can't make a screenshot while DVD player is running, bluray demands things be taken to an entirely new level of "we own your machine". (the exact requirements are of course behind an NDA but I'd wager they require kernel level DRM)
To say nothing of the price gouging going on in the bluray player market by Sony. Although the price of bluray players has really been dropping rapidly lately. I'm a somewhat early adopter there and the drive that I bought 6 months ago costs about 30% less today.
I very much doubt Apple would let you CTO a piece of hardware without the software that supports it. Macs can read blurays, the file format is old standard, but the files themselves are encrypted, and the cartels that have the keys have some pretty absurd demands before they'll give you a key. You think it's bad enough that you can't make a screenshot while DVD player is running, bluray demands things be taken to an entirely new level of "we own your machine". (the exact requirements are of course behind an NDA but I'd wager they require kernel level DRM)
To say nothing of the price gouging going on in the bluray player market by Sony. Although the price of bluray players has really been dropping rapidly lately. I'm a somewhat early adopter there and the drive that I bought 6 months ago costs about 30% less today.