The Great Vista/Mac Showdown: Two flavors of Bluetooth experience

Not every confrontation between these operating systems will be won by the sheer brilliance of one OS's implementation of a technology, and so it is with the Bluetooth experience on Windows Vista and Mac OS X.

Here's the step-by-step comparison of the Bluetooth configuration and file transfer experience in Vista and Mac OS. 

This increasingly prevalent and very useful "personal area networking" technology can connect devices, such as a headset, to a computer and allow sharing of files and services within a local vicinity of Your Bluetooth preference between Vista and Mac will depend on taste, not the technology30 feet up to, depending on the power of the device transceivers, approximately 300 feet. Most Bluetooth connections are useful only within 30 feet. 

Bluetooth has worked well with Windows and Mac systems for several years, the latest iterations of Bluetooth support on both are familiar and usage-proven. What we see are subtle differences at best, the kinds of user experiences that will depend solely on the tastes of the individual to win someone over, if, in fact, Bluetooth is capable of eliciting passion.

One of the major differences between Vista and Mac OS X where you will find the command to start the process of setting up a Bluetooth device. The Vista Add Device command is in the Bluetooth Control Panel whereas you can begin the process from the Desktop on the Mac by clicking the Bluetooth icon in the toolbar. 

There's not a lot of magic to the Bluetooth setup process, at least not in the Harry Potter magic full-of-flourish sense. Both OSes pop the first step with a short explanation, in Vista's case you must check the box that indicates you have prepared the Bluetooth device to communicate before going on.

Vista begins by searching for available devices, regardless of what they might be, in order to populate a list the user can choose from. The Mac OS, by contrast, asks what kind of device will be configured. The odd thing about this is that it will still discover other types of devices and try, if, for example, you select "Mobile Phone" from the list, to configure a computer as a Mobile Phone. This is problematic rather than pragmatic, if you ask me, because the device should give the computer information about what it can do, then the computer can configure options for the user. 

Vista doesn't do options better than Mac OS, since it doesn't offer any sharing or other functional preferences during the pairing process, it just handle finding out about options differently. 

The next major difference is in how the OS handles Bluetooth security. Mac OS X generates a passkey, which must be entered on the other device with which it will pair, automatically. If the other device requires entry of a passkey, such as a headset with a built-in code, Mac OS X asks the user to enter that number.
It's not really something I think users need to make a choice about, since deciding not to use a passkey creates a security risk—even if it is a one-time connection. Mac OS handles this step more gracefully.
Vista makes this step into a decision for the user. One can: have Vista generate a key (basically, do what Mac OS X does by default); enter a passkey provided with the device; create a passkey of their own, or; decide not to use a passkey.
Vista then reminds you that "You should always use a passkey unless your device does not support one." Well, then, make it easier by having the OS present the appropriate choices. This is a case where the Windows wizard approach becomes unnecessarily complex.

Sending a file from the Desktop is easy with both operating sytems. A right-click on a file in Vista will open a menu that includes a Send To option pop-up that include "Bluetooth device." Vista, however, will not send a folder full of files without first having the user to compress it.

That's okay, but Vista's UI doesn't handle compressing the file automatically. Rather it opens a dialog that tells the user to open the folder and select the files they want to send. It does not say that if you want to send the whole folder you should compress it first.Vista can send multiple files, but it does so as separate transfers.

On the Mac, one begins by clicking the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar, selecting "Send File..." to open a Finder window where they can select a file, files or a folder to send.

During the transfer, Vista comes at the process from a different direction than Mac. The Mac OS asks what files to transfer, then for the destination of the transfer. Vista already knows what files you are sending, because initiating the transfer involved clicking a file or files on the desktop. It scans the local network and asks where to send the files. 

If you have more than one paired device and want to select one that is not displayed as the default connection in Vista, you must browse for it. Windows then seeks connected and other devices in range. The advantage here is that you could, if you needed to, set up a device from within the device browser by clicking the icon.

The Mac, on the other hand, opens a Finder window where you can select what files or folder you wish to send. A folder can be sent uncompressed, unlike with Vista's Bluetooth, which will only send a folder if it is compressed and handled as a single file. 

In terms of "steps," Vista is already sending your file when the Mac is asking where to send it. But, the Mac displays a complete list of paired devices to choose from, so there is no need to browse the network unless you intend to send files to a newly discovered device. The thing is, Bluetooth is an ad hoc communications tool, so you will frequently find that you need to go through the pairing steps I covered earlier. With the Mac, you find yourself beginning that configuration later in the transfer process. 

After sending the file(s), Vista presents a confirmation dialog explaining the file has been sent. Clicking Finish in this dialog ends the transfer process.
The Mac will complete the transfer of the file and close the progress dialog, unless there is a problem, in which case it will open a dialog alerting the user that the file did not transfer successfully.
What we see throughout this step-by-step tour is that the Vista and Mac OSes take their own approach to configuring, and transferring files via, Bluetooth. Some steps on each side are more or less superfluous, but they get the same tasks done in approximately the same time.
What you prefer will be a matter of taste, not technology.