Bluetooth 4 driver install question

[sinetheo]

A question for you all?

 

I decided to join this decade and finally upgrade to Bluetooth on my cpu with a usb adapter. For $9.99 - $25.00 I can get a tiny penny sized bluetooth 3.0 or 4.0 adapter to sync my phones and maybe some speakers in the future from my pc.

 

I found out WIndows 8.1 caused some issues on 2 products listed at www.bestbuy.com and Amazon.com.

 

My question is do Bluetooth adapters have a universal generic driver like USB drives do where you plug it in and it works? Or does each manufactorer need to support it with a proprietary install program/suite?

 

2nd question is will Windows 10 have the same driver model as 8.1 and maybe WIndows 7? I own Windows 7 currently and skilled 8/8.1. However, I do plan to upgrade eventually next summer or next year and want to make sure what I buy will just work when I leave WIndows 7 behind for WIndows 10 when I am ready?

 

Thanks

[Aergan]

Bluetooth adapters have their own unique drivers (similar to other devices e.g. wireless lan adapters). Microsoft have some available natively within the OS or can be obtained natively via Windows Update.

 

Typically you'll have an OEM that packages the device (e.g. ASUS, HP, Medialink, Trust) and the actual chipset is produced by another manufacturer (e.g Qualcom, Broadcom). If the chipset manufacturer is Realtek, Broadcom or Intel - you'll likely find the driver is picked up automatically. If the device is Bluetooth 3.0 or newer, it will likely have Windows 8.1 support natively. Older devices might also but typically rely on their own Bluetooth driver stack (Intel or Toshiba) that would not be compatible (or certainly unreliable/unstable) with Windows 8.1.

 

If the device states Blueooth 4.0 on it's retail packaging, is "designed for" or "compatible with" Windows 8.1 and ships without a driver CD, it should not need any additional drivers.

[sinetheo]

Bluetooth adapters have their own unique drivers (similar to other devices e.g. wireless lan adapters). Microsoft have some available natively within the OS or can be obtained natively via Windows Update.

 

Typically you'll have an OEM that packages the device (e.g. ASUS, HP, Medialink, Trust) and the actual chipset is produced by another manufacturer (e.g Qualcom, Broadcom). If the chipset manufacturer is Realtek, Broadcom or Intel - you'll likely find the driver is picked up automatically. If the device is Bluetooth 3.0 or newer, it will likely have Windows 8.1 support natively. Older devices might also but typically rely on their own Bluetooth driver stack (Intel or Toshiba) that would not be compatible (or certainly unreliable/unstable) with Windows 8.1.

 

If the device states Blueooth 4.0 on it's retail packaging, is "designed for" or "compatible with" Windows 8.1 and ships without a driver CD, it should not need any additional drivers.

 

Any brand I should trust? I plan to go to microcenter today or tomorrow for a new power s upply and can google which chipset manufactor. Realtek and Intel I would trust for sure to have up to date drivers that will work when I am ready to take the plunge to Windows 10.

 

Thanks

[Aergan]

In all honesty, I would avoid Intel's Bluetooth products and you're not likely to find Intel without it being apart of a WLAN chipset on a mini-PCI-e board anyway.

 

Realtek, CSr & Broadcom chipsets should all be fine but I would check them via Google. A lot of OEM's have different product versions/revisions which may mean they change the chipset they're using or even manufacturer. I couldn't say which OEM brand to trust as it has little bearing, what's inside the product is what I always pay attention to. My current WLAN+BT4.0 board is made by Azurewave - whom I've never heard of before I bought it. It does have a fully supported Broadcom 20702 BT 4.0 chipset though (which is what I was interested in).

Anything that has native support under Windows 8.1 has worked for me under Windows 10 thus far if it that helps.