Can someone explain Bluetooth technology?

[.Mark]

May be a daft question but anyway.
A local place has 'dongles' for sale at about 17 quid.
If I plug one of these into my laptop (Win2K) and one into my PC (Win98) could I send prints from laptop to printer attached to PC?
Also, could I at the same time have another plugged in to another laptop (WinXP) to do the same?
Would I need any other equipment/software?
Have I lost the plot?

[.Mark]

chassis said:

The blootooth is the microwavs which make thing to talk to another thing. My Uncle say that blootooth is nearly as good as the blacktooth but you must eat lot of the sugar. Simply put blotooth is the foundation of the currently networkable enviromentt which depend on the radiowav to comunikate. This in the turn make everything talk to the otherthing which make the world much more nice. Is that simply enough? I am having blootooth put in fiat, so I can make the stereo much better. >> Edited by chassis on Sunday 29th June 21:25

Er...Cheers mate. I think.

[.Mark]

philshort said:

Yes, you could. That would be a wireless network of sorts. However, bluetooth has a very small range - just a few feet in practice. 802.11 "proper" wireless networks are bad enough, unless all your computers are in the same room bluetooth wouldn't really work.

Phil, thanks.
Actually the PC's are all within a few feet of each other, it's just the one with the printer attached is a tower unit and I'm too lazy to keep pulling it out of the desk to unplug the serial cable and plug it into one of the other machines.
Do you know how I would print from a machine via bluetooth? Presumably I would have to make the 'main' machine a print server of sorts?

[.Mark]

annodomini2 said:

no if the printer has bluetooth, you make the printer the printer server.

But the printer is connected directly to the main PC. I know I can buy something to fit in the back of the printer to make that bluetooth but it's about £70.
Being a tight git I was looking for a cheaper alternative, if I have to spend 70 quid on the printer then 20 quid each on 3 dongles I think I'll just keep pulling the desk out and swapping the cable over!

[.Mark]

Cheers Chaps, both good ideas, however I'm really looking for no added wires.
As for the security aspect, I'm surrounded by old biddies who wouldn't know a PC from a policeman, except for the neighbours who don't even have a car!