For the majority of people living in North America, WIFI or Bluetooth is the way to go. This wifi stands for Wireless Internet for iPod. WIFI was developed by the Wireless Information Group (WIM) who worked with the Wireless Industry Association. WIFI was born out of the need for wireless internet for laptop users. To have access to the internet without having to carry their separate wireless cards. Since WIFI is a competing technology with Bluetooth, it is often seen as being the superior technology.
What exactly is WIFI?
The WIFI stands for Wireless Internet for iPod. WIFI is actually an innovative new technology. That allows you to connect to your wireless internet on your iPod with no wires. This is done through the use of your laptop (usually with the aid of a Bluetooth device. Such as the Bluetooth headset.)
Why should I choose WIFI over Bluetooth?
There are several major advantages and disadvantages to WIFI. The biggest advantage to WIFI is that it provides you with a wireless internet connection for your iPod, which can be used anywhere you are as long as you have an available signal and cable connection. In this sense, WIFI is similar to how a microwave would be able to transmit signals throughout a room (since the signals travel through the air and not through wires). So wifi is much better than the best Bluetooth headphones.
WIFI is also much more efficient than Bluetooth
WIFI requires less bandwidth as well as less power. Bluetooth will generally use twice the power and twice the bandwidth that WIFI does when compared to wireless technology in general. The only disadvantage to WIFI is that if two devices are close enough to each other, there is a chance that WIFI will drop signals between them. This is a very rare occurrence but can happen if there is poor cell phone reception or if the signal fluctuates.
WIFI also works on a more secure level when compared to Bluetooth
Since WIFI can transmit over longer distances than Bluetooth, there is a much lower chance of transmitting the wrong codes and/or information. Additionally, WIFI does not broadcast a signal or request data from another device. This feature alone makes WIFI extremely secure as only one person will need to use the device at a time without fear of someone else having it. This is far different than Bluetooth where dozens or even hundreds of devices could potentially be in range at once.
The latest Wifi is much easier to set up than Bluetooth devices
The best wifi can work on any wireless internet service provider and is especially easy to set up since WIFI devices make use of the barebones WEP technology which is essentially like a password for your network. WIFI is also cheaper to purchase and has significantly fewer complications to deal with.
WIFI can also allow for portability
Which means that you can use it no matter where you are. If you have in-laws or a roommate who wishes to give WIFI a try. Then you can simply take the device with you and use it on any computer with the Internet. WIFI also provides for very easy data transfers. And allows you to send and receive files at a much faster rate than Bluetooth. WIFI can also be used as a secondary connection to another device such as a laptop which allows for data to transfer at a much faster rate than with Bluetooth.
Conclusion
Though WIFI still has some cons, like all wireless internet connections, WIFI has many advantages. To get a good idea of the differences between WIFI and Bluetooth, check out our comparison page. WIFI continues to gain popularity and we expect to see many more WIFI phones and other products coming out soon.
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