dongle or adapter

"Bob the Printer" <bdolson@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:tP-dnR2aEM0zVj_cRVn-pg@comcast.com...
>
> "wayne.kerr" <wayne.kerr@spammer.com> wrote in message
> news:41a24a41$0$109$65c69314@mercury.nildram.net.. .
>>I need to purchase something which allows me to manage my bluetooth phone
>>from my pc via the usb port and am a bit confused by the naming
>>conventions of some items on retailers web sites. So please could someone
>>explain the difference between an adapter and a dongle.
>>
>> tia, wayne
>
> Same thing AFAIK
Strictly speaking, the correct terminology is "adapter"

a dongle is "A hardware device that serves as copy protection for certain
software by rendering the software inoperable when the device is not plugged
into a printer port." (from dictionary.com)

But, thats being REAL picky, and as Master Bates says, "same thing" really.

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 20:21:07 +0000, wayne.kerr wrote:

> I need to purchase something which allows me to manage my bluetooth phone
> from my pc via the usb port and am a bit confused by the naming conventions
> of some items on retailers web sites. So please could someone explain the
> difference between an adapter and a dongle.

In this NG it means the same thing. However in computer terminology a
'dongle' is a....

-----------
A dongle (pronounced DONG-uhl) is a mechanism for ensuring that only
authorized users can copy or use specific software applications,
especially very expensive programs. Common mechanisms include a hardware
key that plugs into a parallel or serial port on a computer and that a
software application accesses for verification before continuing to run;
-----------
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definit...211990,00.html

--
Michael Turner
Email (ROT13)
zvxr.gheare1963@grfpb.arg

With this specification you can say that a Bluetooth adapter is also a
dongle cause of the dongle functionallity in cooperation with the driver
(i.e. Widcomm). Or is this wrong?

Thomas

"Thomas K. Balthasar" <Thomas.Balthasar@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:30h753F30f7n7U1@uni-berlin.de...
> With this specification you can say that a Bluetooth adapter is also a
> dongle cause of the dongle functionallity in cooperation with the driver
> (i.e. Widcomm). Or is this wrong?
>
> Thomas
That's stretching things a little bit ;-) but I suppose you're right. The
software WON'T work without the adapter, so that DOES make it a dongle of
sorts.
Nice to have a definitive answer!

Thomas K. Balthasar wrote:

> With this specification you can say that a Bluetooth adapter is also a
> dongle cause of the dongle functionallity in cooperation with the driver
> (i.e. Widcomm). Or is this wrong?

So, a printer is also a dongle? And what about your monitor, mouse,
keyboard? They all plug into your pc, and the drivers don't 'work'
without those nifty devises plugged in ;-)

Mexx

>> With this specification you can say that a Bluetooth adapter is also a
>> dongle cause of the dongle functionallity in cooperation with the driver
>> (i.e. Widcomm). Or is this wrong?
>
> So, a printer is also a dongle? And what about your monitor, mouse,
> keyboard? They all plug into your pc, and the drivers don't 'work' without
> those nifty devises plugged in ;-)

By your comment do you call a printer/ Mouse, Keyboard adaptors? Not
usually, the BT USB device can be called any name your wish, just most of us
prefer standard names we can identify.

Commonly the connected device is used as the name, but BT should be referred
to in the same manner as a network connection, since it acts in a similar
way.

> So, a printer is also a dongle? And what about your monitor, mouse,
> keyboard? They all plug into your pc, and the drivers don't 'work' without
> those nifty devises plugged in ;-)
>
For me he Widcomm Software is a bit more than a driver. The Widcomm Software
is a genaeral driver for more than one adapter, too. In fact of this you
might say that the adapter is also a dongle. But this is only as I see it...

Thomas

As others have posted, a "dongle" was originally a hardware device that
would usually plug into the parallel port of a PC and serve as physical
confirmation that a license had been purchased for the corresponding S/W
(the S/W would query for the presence of the dongle). Other than an
optional pass-through connection to the printer, it did not connect to
anything outside of the PC.

Since USB-based flash memories and wireless devices have a similar
form-factor (plug into a port, but no connections otherwise) they are often
referred to as dongles.

--
....The Bit Eimer NAR 84054 L0
"My goal in life is to be the kind of person my cat thinks he is"
[remove keinewurst and reverse letters in domain to email me]
--------------------------------------------------------------


"wayne.kerr" <wayne.kerr@spammer.com> wrote in message
news:41a24a41$0$109$65c69314@mercury.nildram.net.. .
>I need to purchase something which allows me to manage my bluetooth phone
>from my pc via the usb port and am a bit confused by the naming conventions
>of some items on retailers web sites. So please could someone explain the
>difference between an adapter and a dongle.
>
> tia, wayne
>