[iMore Question]

Please help the bluetooth illiterate!

I just can't figure it out. Bluetooth. Despite what seemed an endless search of the internet for clear answers, I'm still no closer to answering my questions about bluetooth. It's everywhere. I use it daily; multiple times on numerous devices. Yet, I just don't understand it as a technology.

I'm not asking for an in depth review of some white paper. Just an answer to my daily frustrations.

Why can my iMac connect to my bluetooth wireless keyboard and bluetooth wireless touchpad at the same time, but not to two sets of bluetooth headphones at the same time (eg: so my two children can watch the same movie on the same screen)?

Why can't my bluetooth keyboards easily switch between my iMac, iPad and iPhone?

Apple TV has bluetooth. So why can't I connect my bluetooth headphones to my Apple TV when watching a movie at night?

Please help the bluetooth illiterate (like me). Surely I'm not alone.

Yours sincerely,

An analogue man in a digital world

[kch50428]

The technology has its limitations... sometimes design considerations - putting more hardware into some devices would compromise other design considerations...

Apple TV has bluetooth. So why can't I connect my bluetooth headphones to my Apple TV when watching a movie at night?

The AppleTV isn't designed to be a source device for audio other than to devices connected physically to the device.

Why can't my bluetooth keyboards easily switch between my iMac, iPad and iPhone?

Keyboards aren't intended to be in use by more than one device at a time - thus no ability to connect to more than one thing at a time.

Why can my iMac connect to my bluetooth wireless keyboard and bluetooth wireless touchpad at the same time, but not to two sets of bluetooth headphones at the same time (eg: so my two children can watch the same movie on the same screen)?

Different devices... different needs for data transfer... streaming audio is much more hardware intensive for bluetooth than keyboard/mouse io devices.