Bluetooth Dongle

Open Network>Show:>Network Port Configurations, does it show there and is checked on?

In System Profiler>Hardware>Bluetooth, does it show up there? Under USB maybe?

The computer, if too old (and not a 20" 1.0GHz iMac G4) would
be USB 1 & probably not have the likely required USB 2.0 bus.

An iMac G4 17" & 20" 1.25 GHz USB2.0 existed; a smaller 15" too.
The others were USB 1. Some of should work even if USB 1.x

The Bluetooth dongle should be researched to see if it'd work
per the hardware available to it in the Mac (if a 1.25GHz iMac G4
it should work if the software version is supported) and settings
in proper control panels are proper to enable bluetooth devices.

The last versions of the iMac G4 were USB 2.0, earlier ones USB 1.

Was the computer restarted with the Dongle in place, to see if it
needed to be seen by the computer on Startup? It may matter.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

The bluetooth device should work in the iMac G4 1.0GHz 17" USB1 machine
with 3 - 12 MBit/s USB ports; since it worked in an iMac G3 of lesser bus
speed and otherwise similar port speeds and USB support even in OS 9.1.

There may be some driver update out there for the bluetooth device on the
manufacturer's web page for Tiger 10.4.11 & PowerPC Macs. Hopefully if
there is, the driver update will still allow the product to run in 12 MBit/s USB.
Sometimes a manufacturer's web site may have a support contact link or
a user forum of their product; so something may be found there.

{The one thing that I can think of right off the bat, in using a USB dongle in
the iMac G4 that may make a difference, is the recessed port design; as
this may not allow the USB plug to go into the port fully, if so it won't work.}

If you could find the Optional Bluetooth module for the iMac G4 1.0GHz it
would be different than the one for the iMac G4 1.25GHz 17" USB 2.0.
The product for the newer USB 2.0 computers is Optional Bluetooth 1.1.

The ports in the keyboard are likely slower than those in the computer, so
if a USB item is plugged in there, that's about mouse-tracking speed; slow.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

I don't know if you've already solved this, but here's a silly solution I found when I tried to sync a Blackberry with my G4 eMac with USB 2.0 ports.

I found that I could only sync the Blackberry with the middle (of three) USB port. Everyone I've said this to insists that's impossible, but if the previous solutions didn't work, maybe try that.

Good post/find Lenore, thanks! 🙂

Everyone I've said this to insists that's impossible...

I've actually had USB Wifi sticks that the OS remembered which USB Port they originally plugged into and refused to "talk" to them on another USB Port even if it saw a device there!

And if the USB dongle, or flash drive of similar concept, does not work due to the
surrounding plastic on the computer, you may have to try an external USB hub
of powered design to have an accessible port for these products. Or get and use
a USB keyboard 'extension cord' so there is no doubt about the final connection.

Since there is a port power and data transfer specification difference between
the older and later USB products, these may also play into the situation of them
not working; but do check the actual physical ability of the plug to connect, first.

Due to ports being close together on some computers, anything not narrowly
designed may find the space between some other cord already plugged into
the computer, or the plastic computer case too thick near a port for it to work.
While somewhat remote in some computer designs, it has happened in Macs.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Yah, I've had that happen a lot.... silly Apple and their closely-spaced USB ports! 🙂

I don't know what bluetooth dongle you have, but I purchased a Iogear Bluetooth 2.1 dongle at Wal-Mart the other day - it works just fine with Tiger's default drivers. A couple years ago, I heard that there's an old D-link bluetooth dongle that was entirely compatible with Apple's drivers - I think it used the same chipset as the later Powerbooks. I don't remember the model number, however. Good luck!

I think I have one of the of the old bluetooth adapters of which you speak. It is a D-Link DBT-120 and works with my iMac G4 17" 1 GHz flat panel running OS X 10.5.8 system software. I plug it into the keyboard USB port and the system acknowledges it immediately. I have successfully linked a Logitech MX1000 bluetooth mouse but not my iPhone or iPod Touch with the new 3.1.3 software update. Hope this helps...