Wired or Not?

We just went through such a decision at the corporate office. Do we go for the super-cool and convenient wireless Bluetooth headset for our phones, or stay with a simple wired solution? The price difference is significant, so you must decide how important the freedom of Bluetooth and wireless is to you and your particular application.

Bluetooth Pros:

• Wireless
• High quality of sound/reception
• Little to no interference
• Large range (up to 30 feet)

Bluetooth Cons:

• Price
• Battery life (usually rechargable but will not recharge forever)

With a cheaper, wired solution you can get most of the advantages of a Bluetooth headset (hands free operation) with the minor inconvenience of a wire. This may also prevent awkward social encounters like we discussed in this post.

Bluetooth Headsets... Have a Meeting in the Restroom!

At my old corporate office I was walking in to the men's room and saw a middle aged man standing at the urinal having a conversation with himself. I almost responded to him thinking he was either crazy or assumed I was someone else ("no I don't have those TPS reports done yet Bob"), then I noticed his Bluetooth headset. This was about 4 years ago, around the emergence of these headsets. I found this odd, considering the nature of what he was doing while having presumably a work related conversation.

Regardless, this disturbing little anecdote proves the flexibility and ease of use with a Bluetooth headset. Check out this model, the Plantronics 72380-01 Voyager 510-USB Bluetooth Heaset System. This little beauty is packed with features for the price. It offers up to 6 hours of talk time before recharge, plug and play connectivity (via USB), and a range of up to 33 feet.