Plantronics M2500 with a ThinkPad

MAY 4 UPDATE: I did a foolish thing this week. I don't know what I was thinking. I posted to Plantronics trouble ticket system about why the otherwise fantastic looking headset does not appear to work with Windows XP Japanese and/or my ThinkPad T40 with internal Bluetooth. I then forgot about the posting and the answer came back 3-4 days later (e.g., Their system promises an answer in 24 hours so we already have an issue here. I posted on a Thursday night Japan time, so they had a Thursday and Friday of U.S. time to respond). Anyway, I am the proud recipient of a stock, pat answer from the KnowledgeBase saying that they only support supported products that the headset was designed for. Hmmmmm... if it was not designed for Windows then why does their knowledgebase show a Windows XP SP2 issue. So, folks, I am the escrow agent for stock answer #514 and I can save you 3-4 days of waiting.

This really sucks, as I clearly told them the device was already paired with Windows XP. So I am to contact IBM, it would seem, who will then tell me to contact Skype, so that they can tell me to contact Plantronics. I see no Guinness Book record for being in three companies' trouble-ticket system at the same time. Perhaps they would like me to pitch the headset in the river and forget the whole thing?

Here you go:

Response - 05/01/2005 09:12 PM
The Plantronics Bluetooth headsets are designed for use with devices that support a Bluetooth handsfree and headset profile with audio and data capabilities. We cannot guarantee compatibility with any other device. Please contact the manufacturer of your computer, or Bluetooth adapter, to verify it supports a Bluetooth handsfree and headset profile with audio and data capabilities, and for Bluetooth pairing instructions. If you need assistance using a specific application, such as Skype, then please contact the manufacturer of the application for assistance. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------------

Okay, so I'm a skyper. One of those 1.3 million users during the day and one of the 2.4 million users during the night hours (e.g., When it is night in Japan, North Americans are awake and skyping for free like there is no tomorrow.

Anyway, I've got this Kenwood headphones that are supposed to make you feel like there is no headband when in fact it has band that wraps around the back of your head. Ok, so it is like a wrestling dude doing a headlock on your ears, the way this thing hooks on there.

So, what happens? I am introduced to the Plantronics M2500 Bluetooth headset. I suppose I should be impressed by the design, but I am reminded that 25 years ago, my grand-pa had a hearing aid just like this, without the microphone hanging down, and in flesh color. It was probably CDN$2,000 of 80's money back then, compared to the JPY8,000 I dumped for this M2500. Besides, for hearing these days, you can always opt for a Rush Limbaugh cochular implant as an option for hearing loss. But I degress.

The point of the M2500 is two-fold. The wires on the Kenwood are darned restricting when using it. You feel tied to the computer even though there is plenty of slack on the wire. There is the other thing that matters and that it the spontaneity of a skype call. You want to be able to answer the "phone" almost as fast a regular phone.

Anyway, that is the scoop on this. I'd say more, that is if I could get the thing to work with my ThinkPad. I've paired it to Bluetooth devices in Windows XP, but now what? It does jack and does not show up as a audio device in Windows. Guess I need to click off some cycles getting this "easy" product to work. It is definitely a Windows thing. I have manually hardened this OS with BlackViper's suggestions. Perhaps it was the Universal Plug-and-Play service that did it.