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Power Mac G5 can't Bluetooth with my toys…

Any obvious reason why my Power Mac G5 can't send a text file to either of my iPhones?


I've never used Bluetooth much, if at all, but I had set up all my other devices for it—going all the way back to my Motorola E815—just because I could. 🙂


Now I'm enjoying a new iPhone 5s but struggling with the fact that, unlike its predecessor iPhone 4, it is too advanced to sync with this computer. Sniff.


I thought I'd see if I could get a couple of text files from the Mac to the phone via Bluetooth. Christmas lists, you know—need 'em on the road. I wound up using good old e-mail from where I can always view them on the phone. In the process of trying, I find that the computer can't seem to "connect" with ANYTHING—neither of my phones, nor my iPod, although it's paired with all of them. I was prepared for problems with the 5s but the inability to connect to the older devices surprises me.


These days I have a home wi-fi network, only an entertaining luxury at this point as I haven't bought a new Mac, Macbook or iPad yet, but it's nice to be able to do stuff on the handhelds while in the house without chewing up my Verizon data allowance.


Could the wi-fi be screwing the Bluetooth or is there something else I'm not thinking of?

PowerMac, G5 (Late 2005 DC 2.0)

Posted on Nov 14, 2013 9:56 AM

Reply
6 replies

Nov 14, 2013 5:27 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi BDAqua,


Sure, the 5s has wi-fi and it's logged in to the home network. The G5 isn't. I hadn't even thought about that. Do you think if I turn on AirPort on the G5 I can transfer files from it to the phone? I'm a little leery because I have this dim recollection of accidentally turning it on a while back and having strange glitchy things happen to the computer as an apparent consequence. I definitely will have to make sure the network is secured before I do it.

Nov 14, 2013 6:07 PM in response to BDAqua

P.S.—I've found a few old discussions like the one linked below that say the iPhone doesn't support Bluetooth for file transfer, only for connections to hands-free mobile gadgetry. I suppose that may explain why I kept getting the error message "the device does not have the necessary services" when I tried to connect to send something to it.


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1710688?answerId=8133862022#8133862022

Nov 14, 2013 6:15 PM in response to Nina R

Good work, I'd try Wifi & see, but not sure the 5s even does regular file tranfer, maybe just Syncing, which requires 10.6.8 & a slew of newer iTunes, QT, etc... all out of the question for our G5s.


If nothing else, you should be abe to setup Internet Sharing on the G5 to save money anyway...


Sys Prefs>Sharing>Internet Sharing, set it up.


To see that you can easily getback to exactly where you are now, first...


Make a New Location, Using network locations in Mac OS X ...


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2712


10.5, 10.6, 10.7 & 10.8…


System Preferences>Network, top of window>Locations>Edit Locations, little plus icon, give it a name.



10.5.x/10.6.x/10.7.x/10.8.x instructions...


System Preferences>Network, click on the little gear at the bottom next to the + & - icons, (unlock lock first if locked), choose Set Service Order.


The interface that connects to the Internet should be dragged to the top of the list.


Meaning Ethernet on top, Airport/Wifi undeneath, then setup Internet Sharing in that Location.

Nov 14, 2013 6:51 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks, I don't think I'd gain anything by doing that. The phones and the iPod are already "sharing" my cable Internet via the wireless router that I included in the cable installation in my new location. So when running apps or checking mail in the house, they're doing it via my unlimited cable wi-fi rather than cellular data, ensuring that I won't exceed my Verizon allowance.


You're probably right that the 5s can't send/receive anything without bloody iTunes. The language of the Bluetooth setup dialog on the G5 is outdated obviously, and while it makes reference to having "successfully" set up the iPhones as ports in a personal data network, or something like that… the dialog was written when there was no such thing as an iPhone, I guess. It probably worked with my Motorola phone. Too long ago to remember for sure 🙂

Power Mac G5 can't Bluetooth with my toys…

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