I like giving compliments and credits where credit is due. This time around, Microsoft deserves a good amount of credit for being one of the only Tech players on the block who are offering Bluetooth devices like keyboard and mice combos (in fact, at this point, they were the only people I could find an available keyboard/mouse combo from - at this time). I just received my Wireless Optical Desktop (for Bluetooth) from CDW this morning and kept my fingers crossed while I tried to set up the device with my 17" PowerBook which has built-in Bluetooth. Within a matter of seconds, I was up and running. Click -> Set up a Bluetooth Device -> Keyboard/Mouse -> exchanging keys... etc. and I was done. This is the way wireless was meant to be! I have been waitin a long time for Bluetooth to actually make it mainstream with devices like this. I don't see it as a viable alternative to WiFi/802.11a/b/g because of the lack of bandwidth (from what I have read, Bluetooth is really only capable of 768kbps), but when it comes to headsets, keyboards, pda's, etc. I can't see a better way to get devices connected. This is light-years ahead of USB/FireWire and the sensitivity specifically relating to input devices is better than the current crop of USB-to-wireless (usually in the 900MHz spectrum) devices.
Apple also deserves a decent amount of credit, considering I didn't need any drivers or have to do much that was counter-intuitive. For the fool-proof crowd, the setup process might be simplified in the future, but I don't know of any setup process as simple as this one. The installation of drivers for Windows requires that you install the software first and configure the device afterward. I don't know how involved it is and will likely comment when the time comes that I attach the keyboard to a Windows machine. Suffice it to say, Apple did a great job in incorporating Bluetooth into their newer machines and also making typical device/driver problems non-existent (as long as you don't need the extended features of the keyboard I have - for which I haven't tried the normal Intellipoint drivers for OS X - and probably will not do so because I don't need the extra buttons). Both companies deserve pats on the back for a great job done!
By the way, for those of you who have the keyboard and mouse combo already or would like one: one caveat: the mouse appears to go into "sleep mode" when not in use for a given amount of time. In order to get the mouse to respond after it has entered sleep mode, you need to click... Then everything works again. It is something to get used to - but nothing that I have any desire to complain about.
