Bluetooth headset and 10.5.1 (Leopard)

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Bluetooth headset and 10.5.1 (Leopard)

After a year of using a bluetooth headset with Tiger and Macbook Pro I tried it today with Leopard for the first time. Soon I had to disconnect the headset because it appears to bring some programmes and the whole system into an instable state.

1) Mail crashed leading to the crash of the whole system when I was sending a mail message. It was a very simple mail - plain text, no attachment, about 10 KB, but Mail.app stopped responding while showing the spinning symbol at the outgoing mail box. A busy cursor didn't disapear. As I tried to quit and even to force quit Mail.app, the whole Finder stopped responding. Then the Dock, then the whole OS... I couldn't even restart the system with keyboard. Finally I turned the computer off.

2) After a new login with my headset turned on and connected (The bluetooth symbol on the menu bar was showing the connected state.) I saw that everything in the system that deals with network or bluetooth responds slowly, i.e. freezes for about 10 - 30 seconds each time when I click on it with the mouse: If I click for example on the bluetooth symbol on the menu bar, it takes about half a minute for the drop-down menu to appear. When I connected to the my server over AFP, the Finder didn't close the progress dialog very long after the remote directory was already visible in the file system. When I opened the System Preferences, the busy cursor appeared and I had to wait about half a minute before I could select the symbols with the mouse. Even Safari froze for a moment at start-up.

Now I've turned off the headset, and everything appears to be normal again.

I upgraded Tiger to Leopard on Nov. 13. and wasn't using the headset after that. Then I installed a system update 10.5.1. after it was released. I don't know for sure if the problems that I experience now deal with Leopard as such or with the recent system update. I'm curious if anybody already observed the issues discribed above and if Apple already knows about it.

Message was edited by: artyuten

17" Mac Book Pro 2,33 GHz Core 2 Duo + Mac Pro Quad Core 2,66 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.1), Cinema Display HD 23" + Cinema Display 20"

Posted on Nov 25, 2007 1:04 PM

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Answer 1

artyuten Author

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Nov 26, 2007 2:00 AM in response to artyuten

Today I tried to connect the headset to my Mac Pro and observed the same things: Network applications became more or less unresponsive. I also noticed that it happens during connection to a server or authentication. Mail, for instance, freezes when sending a mail to a POP3-server, Finder becomes unresponsive when connecting a network share on a remote server, etc. All those network activities require authentication, and all problems happen when a bluetooth headset is connected.

If I turned it off, everything was OK again. I didn't even need to log out and log in or to reboot the computer.

Note: The Leopard installation on my Mac Pro was fresh, i.e, it wasn't an upgrade from Tiger.

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Answer 2

artyuten Author

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Nov 26, 2007 7:52 AM in response to artyuten

Bluetooth support in Leopard is driving me nuts! Tried to use the headset with Skype: Everything froze, and the headset didn't work at all. It was recognized, apeared among the audio input and output devices in the system preferences and in Skype and I even can test the microphone. However, when I start a call in Skype the system freezes and I hear the sound in the built-in speaker but not from in the headset. 😟

In Tiger this all worked perfectly!

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Answer 3

kfeltes

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Nov 26, 2007 9:26 AM in response to artyuten

You're not alone! I'm having the same problems. I have a Logitech BT Mouse and Apple BT keyboard. Both worked great in that configuration. The second I added and started using a bluetooth headset (Blue Ant X3 Micro) the system started locking up and freezing. All applications became unresponsive. BT mouse and KB became unresponsive as well.

The problems start when I actually use the headset with eyebeam. I can pair the headset w/out issue.

-kfeltes

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Answer 4

dogooder

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Nov 27, 2007 11:19 AM in response to artyuten

Having similar problem here. Using Plantronics bluetooth 320 headset. Worked fine in Tiger. When I updated to Leopard the problems started. When using Skype (ver 2.6.0.151) the headset will remain connected about 1 minute then will shut completely off. The prolem persists with Leopard 10.5.1 update as well.

Message was edited by: dogooder

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Answer 5

artyuten Author

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Nov 27, 2007 11:34 AM in response to dogooder

I finally managed to connect a headset, and it seems to work now. I removed all bluetooth devices that were registered in my computer. In my Macbook Pro it was a wireless Mighty Mouse and my Mac Pro it was a PDA. In Mac Pro I used the headset Anycom HS-790 which is two years old and which used with the Macbook Pro and Tiger before. It seems to work now and I can speak, but this device has a rather poor input quality.

Today I bought a Plantronics PLT 510 and tried it with the Mac Pro and the Macbook Pro. On both it worked fine.

I know, removing all bluethooth devices and leaving only a headset is not an acceptable solution, and I think that there is still a problem that Apple should solve for us. I am going to try to connect the Mighty Mouse again and to look what happens.

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Answer 6

dogooder

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Nov 27, 2007 11:58 AM in response to artyuten

Bingo! I think you found the answer Mate! I removed all bluetooth devices via bluetooth preferences in system preferences. Then added/paired the Plantronics bluetooth 320 headset and tested. It stayed connected. No more disconnecting after one min. or so. Then added other bluetooth devices one at time. No other issues found yet.

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Answer 7

artyuten Author

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Nov 27, 2007 12:25 PM in response to artyuten

I found an intermediate solution that seem to work: All previously registered bluetooth devices have to be removed before a headset is added.

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Answer 8

kfeltes

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Nov 27, 2007 12:27 PM in response to dogooder

I deleted all devices and re-attached them as you suggested. Much much better - thank you! Just one minor problem remains for me - when I use my bt headset for eyebeam softfone my bt mouse stops working. I have to move the scroll wheel to get axis movement again. Odd! It's a logitech v270 so I wonder if the problem would exist with the mighty mouse.

Thanks again!

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Answer 9

artyuten Author

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Nov 27, 2007 12:42 PM in response to kfeltes

I connected my Wireless Mighty Mouse, and it works very well. I also called another computer in Skype wearing the headset: Both worked - the mouse and the headset. I have nobody at the moment to speak with through the headset and to look if the mouse would function properly. But if the headset is active, the mouse definitly works fine.

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Answer 10

dogooder

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Nov 27, 2007 1:03 PM in response to kfeltes

err... dag-nab-it! Can't have "Buddy Pop" (2.5.4 build 6) running with samsung ZX 20 anymore via bluetooth. Seems to be a real problem with bluetooth headsets in Leopard 10.5.0 & 10.5.1! I will for the time being leave just the bluetooth headset paired and no other bluetooth device or program running.

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Answer 11

artyuten Author

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Nov 27, 2007 1:22 PM in response to dogooder

I am not sure if it helps someone: I forgot to write that I also removed bluetooth from the list of network interfaces, i.e. in my Network Prefrences there is no bluetooth choice option among connection types. I did this because I don't connect to any computers via bluetooth and don't need this network interface. I also thought that bluetooth interferes somehow with other network interfaces - first of all with WLAN. I don't know how is the bluetooth hardware built in Macbook Pro but in Mac Pro it is in one module together with Airport. At home I have a WLAN. Now network applications such as Mail don't freeze any more when the headset is on. However, I don't know for sure if it is because I removed bluetooth from network interfaces.

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Answer 12

dogooder

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Nov 27, 2007 1:56 PM in response to dogooder

Well my friends, My victory was short lived... Back to bluetooth headset disconnecting after about one minute of conversation. I have only the bluetooth headset paired. Let us know how your fairing...

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Answer 13

Nov 28, 2007 7:37 PM in response to dogooder

Dear Folks, hello from Brazil! I think the issue on the headset particularly when using Skype is that Leopard adds support for high stereo headphones as well.
So I had the same problem when connecting via headset that can not maintain so I realize using iTunes that checking the use headphone the sounds goes via bluetooth perfectly then in Skype I just select from the bluetooth menu use headset and them boom! the connection maintains.
Apparently Skype is not able to inform Leopard that you want to use the headset even configuring the audio portion of Skype. So you must configure Skype via audio menu selecting the headset and ALSO on the menu bar check the option of use headset.

Regards,

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Answer 14

dogooder

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Nov 28, 2007 8:20 PM in response to Guto Russo

Well, your correct. It does stay connected that way but, OMG what a messed up way to use the headset when answering a skype call!! Darn confusing to use that way. But thanks Mate! Good job!

Uh, well... scratch that. Right back to disconnecting and completely shutting off my headset after a minute or so. It's strange that it completely shuts off my headset. humph ((((scratches head))))

Message was edited by: dogooder

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Answer 15

dogooder

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Nov 29, 2007 8:40 AM in response to artyuten

There is a Skype update now available. Let's hope this fixes the problem for us Skype users. Please post your results after updating your skype client. Just click on "Skype" in the pull down menu and select "Check for update" while your skype client is running. I'll be posting my results here after a day or so of testing.

Happy bluetoothing!

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