从3篇报道看Wi-Fi Direct和蓝牙的对决（中英文对照）

        Wi-Fi Direct是Wi-Fi联盟即将推出的一个项目，它定义了Wi-Fi设备 之间一种新的工作方式。Wi-Fi设备之间可方便快捷地建立一条直接连接，从而在没有接入点或路由 器的情况下完成打印、同步和内容共享等工作。
        
        Wi-Fi联盟从2009年10月宣布Wi-Fi Direct后，业界对它的争论就一直没停止。大家之所以对Wi-Fi Direct的兴趣很大，是因为它的出现可能会完全改变ad hoc网络 ，并进而威胁到蓝牙的存在。

 

        首先看看国内的报道（估计也是翻译的），来自全球IP通信联盟网（2010-1-28）。

        没有网络也可实现设备互联
　　
        Wi-Fi联盟近日透露，即将完成一项新的标准Wi-Fi Direct，使Wi-Fi设备无需接入传统家庭、办公室或热点网络，即可实现相互连接。
　　
        在由Wi-Fi联盟的高级营销经理Sarah Morris所进行的现场演示中，笔者也体会到了这项新的应用的意义。Sarah Morris使用具备Wi-Fi功能的一部普通相机在现场拍摄了一张照片，然后马上将之传到了媒体服务器上。而现场具备Wi-Fi功能的手机便能够通过输 入一组密码登陆媒体服务器获取照片。值得一提的是，现场所使用的相机以及手机都仅仅具备旧有的Wi-Fi功能。
　　
        Wi-Fi联盟的执行总监Edgar Figueroa告诉记者，“Wi-Fi Direct对于硬件没有任何额外的要求。对于一些产品来说，厂商可以通过提供软件的升级，让现有的产品来支持Wi-Fi Direct。”他同时补充道，“如果参与演示的设备都具有Wi-Fi Direct功能，它带来的体验将会更加的丰富。”而且，更重要的是，“Wi-Fi Direct能够带来的第一项好处，就是将原来传统的个人局域网范围从覆盖一间房间延展至覆盖整个家庭。”
　　
        据悉，Wi-Fi联盟计划于2010年中期开始对这项新标准进行认证，通过认证的产品将获得Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct标识。
　　
        来自英特尔移动无线部门的WLAN标准总监Myron Hattig表示：“希望今年夏天，在Wi-Fi Direct认证正式推出的时候，我们能够成为第一个获得该认证的公司。”来自博通的技术总监Stephen R.Palm表示：“对于Wi-Fi Direct所具有的新功能是非常期待、非常认同的，希望在今年相关认证项目推出的时候，很快会有我们（博通）通过认证的产品推出。”

　　  蓝牙危机？
　　
        Wi-Fi Direct技术在2009年就已经公布，舆论界很快对此表示出强烈兴趣，更有许多观点认为这或许意味着蓝牙的终结。对此，蓝牙联盟立即做出了反应，并称蓝牙3.0技术更具优势，使用起来更方便。
　　
        那么，Wi-Fi Direct技术与蓝牙技术相比有哪些优势？Wi-Fi联盟执行总监在接受《通讯世界》采访时表示，Wi-Fi Direct在以下5点优于蓝牙 ：“第一，它具有WPA2的安全性能；第二，它是基于IP的，能很自然地实现和其他所有基于IP的设备的互操作；第三，服务范围更大（可以达到两个足球场大小）；第四，传输速率更高，可达250 Mbps；第五，支持所有现有的具备Wi-Fi功能的设备。”
　　
        值得一提的是，Wi-Fi Direct不仅仅可以在家庭中使用，其安全性也完全可以满足企业用户的需求。据悉，该标准可以为企业环境提供管理功能，并具备WPA2安全性能。
　　
        根据ABI Research 2009年底发布的报告，预计2014年蓝牙芯片组的发货量将接近20亿，其中一半以上将用于无线手机中；同年，Wi-Fi芯片组发货量近15亿，逾 1/3将用于手机中。报告同时指出，“Wi-Fi Direct在短距离内可以实现设备之间的点对点通信，将促进Wi-Fi的发展。”
　　
        蓝牙和Wi-Fi之间的竞争或将不可避免，而谁终将胜出，还得由市场由消费者来决断。

 

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      再看看加拿大媒体怎么说，来自CBC.ca（2010-1-18），我简单翻译了一下。

If one were to guess what will be the big star of next year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, it wouldn't be too crazy to suggest a new wireless technology called Wi-Fi Direct.

        如果评选谁是明年拉斯维加斯CES展会上的明星，一种称为Wi-Fi Direct的无线新技术入选并不为过。

Think of it as the same sort of wireless internet access you get when you connect your laptop at a local café, except it'll be on everything — your television, your camera and even your printer. By next year's annual gadget circus in Las Vegas, Wi-Fi Direct will be allowing all sorts of devices to connect to the internet, and each other. More importantly, it will offer the promise of largely removing those scourges of the technology world: cables and wires.

        这种无线接入技术与目前笔记本在咖啡厅使用的无线接入技术并无二致，不过前者可以应用在任何一种设备上——比如电视、相机甚至打印机。明年的CES 展会上，Wi-Fi Direct将实现所有设备与Internet的连接，以及这些设备之间的直连。更重要的是，Wi-Fi Direct承诺将替代有线线缆。

" Our members have been very energized around this program," says Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, in an interview at this year's recently concluded CES. "There's a perfect storm brewing with consumer demands and expectations."

        “我们的成员企业非常热衷于这个项目。”Wi-Fi联盟执行总监Edgar Figueroa在最近结束的CES的一次采访中表示，“Wi-Fi Direct将很快受到消费者的青睐。”

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a technology standardization and testing group started initially in 1999 by six companies including Nokia and Lucent. Based in Austin, Texas, it has since grown to more than 300 members, including a who's who of technology — Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Cisco, just to name a few.

        Wi-Fi联盟是一个技术标准化与测试机构，成立于1999年，初期成员企业为包括诺基亚与朗讯在内的6家公司，总部位于美国得克萨斯州奥斯汀。Wi-Fi联盟目前已经发展到300多家成员企业，包括像苹果、微软、索尼和思科这样的业界巨头。

The Alliance tests and certifies new Wi-Fi standards and products, and expects members to ship 500 million such devices — including games consoles, computers and smart phones — this year. By 2013, with Wi-Fi Direct being added to consumer electronics of all sorts, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.2 billion.

        Wi-Fi联盟对新出现的Wi-Fi标准和产品进行测试和认证，并预计今年其成员企业的Wi-Fi设备（包括游戏机、电脑、智能电话）销售量将达到5亿。到2013年，所有消费电子产品都将配备Wi-Fi Direct，其销售量预计将超过12亿。

Wi-Fi Direct, first announced in October, is a technology that allows gadgets equipped with Wi-Fi chips to communicate with each other without having to go through an intermediary device, such as an internet router.

        Wi-Fi联盟于2009年10月宣布启动Wi-Fi Direct，它允许Wi-Fi设备相互直连而无需通过中间设备，如路由器。

The examples, Figueroa says, are numerous. You could send photos from a digital camera directly to a printer, or connect a mouse to a laptop, which is then connected to a monitor, or transmit sound from your home theatre amplifier to speakers around the house, all wirelessly.

        Figueroa表示，Wi-Fi Direct可应用于多种场合。比如从数码相机直接将照片以无线方式发送给打印机，将鼠标无线连接到与显示器相连的笔记本，或允许各个房间的扬声器无线接收家庭影院功放的声音。

"Applications like that are just the beginning because our members have proven time and time again that when we give them a technical solution, they get creative and come up with all kinds of products," he says.

        Figueroa说：“上面提到的这些应用只是开始。我们的成员企业不止一次证明，我们只要提出一个技术解决方案，他们就能将其转变为各种产品。”

Unlike existing wireless technologies, all of this will be standardized, interoperable across brands and benefit from the advantages of Wi-Fi — namely security, range up to 200 metres and transfer speeds up to 250 megabits per second.

        与现有的无线技术不同，所有这些应用都将标准化，以保证厂商之间产品的互操作性，并享受Wi-Fi本身具备的优势——安全、最远200米的传输距离以及高达250 Mbps的传输速度。

The Wi-Fi Alliance expects the first Wi-Fi Direct-equipped devices to become available in mid-2010, with more coming rapidly after that. And while most new electronics will come with Direct, existing Wi-Fi-capable devices will only need a software update to become compatible. Moreover, only one device in a home or office will need Wi-Fi Direct, whereupon it will act as a sort of network hub for all other gadgets connecting to it.

        Wi-Fi联盟预计第一批Wi-Fi Direct产品将在2010年中期出现，更多后续产品将很快投放市场。由于多数新型号的电子设备将配备Wi-Fi Direct，现有的Wi-Fi设备只需进行软件升级就能与新设备兼容。此外，在家用网或企业网中，只需一台Wi-Fi Direct设备就可为网络中所有其他设备提供连接了。（译注：这台Wi-Fi Direct设备就是所谓的软AP。）

"To the devices that don't have Wi-Fi Direct, it will appear as if they are joining a Wi-Fi network," Figueroa says.

        Figueroa表示：“对于非Wi-Fi Direct设备来说，它们看起来好像是连接到一个普通的Wi-Fi网络。”

Unlike some technologies that are hyped at CES but which are supported by questionable consumer demand — like 3D TV at this year's show — Wi-Fi Direct is likely to be an instant hit at next year's event. A recent survey by the Wi-Fi Alliance found an overwhelming majority of consumers polled favoured more simple wireless connectivity in their devices, a finding that confirms a truism many gadget users already know.

        与某些在CES上吹得天花乱坠但受到质疑的技术不同——比如今年展会上的3D电视——Wi-Fi Direct很可能在明年的CES上一炮打响。Wi-Fi联盟最近开展的一项调查指出，绝大多数消费者赞成在设备中采用更为简单的无线连接。

"It's a technology people can't help but love," Figueroa says. "It's a true cable replacement."

        Figueroa说：“这是一项让人无法拒绝的技术，它将取代线缆。”

 

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        其实在Wi-Fi联盟去年宣布Wi-Fi Direct后，蓝牙SIG就进行了反击。下面是执行总监Michael Foley代表蓝牙SIG发布的关于Wi-Fi Direct声明，来自蓝牙官网（2009-11-6），我也简单翻译了一下。

BELLEVUE, WA – October 21, 2009 The announcement of Wi-Fi Direct, from the Wi-Fi Alliance, has resulted in confusion in the wireless industry. Not too long ago, it was well understood that Wi-Fi was the best technology for wireless LAN (i.e. connecting a personal device to the Internet) and Bluetooth wireless technology was best suited for wireless PAN (i.e. connecting personal devices to each other). However, once 802.11 and Bluetooth radios both started appearing in a single device, such as a mobile phone or personal computer, the question quickly arose regarding how the 802.11 radio could be leveraged to enhance PAN scenarios. The answer to this question was the Bluetooth v3.0+HS specification adopted in April 2009 by the Bluetooth SIG. This specification defines how an 802.11 radio can be utilized in conjunction with a Bluetooth radio. The combination of the two radios results in a complete, power efficient system that utilizes the best features of each technology to deliver personal area networking scenarios.

        Wi-Fi联盟宣布Wi-Fi Direct后，业界很多人不明就里。不久前，人们都认为Wi-Fi是最适合无线局域网（WLAN）的技术（比如个人设备与Internet相连），而蓝 牙是最适合无线个人域网（WPAN）的技术（比如个人设备之间的连接）。不过，一旦一台设备（比如手机或PC）同时安装有802.11和蓝牙无线网卡，问 题很快出现了：如何利用802.11网卡增强PAN连接？这个问题的答案在蓝牙SIG去年4月批准通过的Bluetooth v3.0+HS规范中，该规范定义了802.11与蓝牙无线网卡的共存问题。两种无线网卡组合在一起时将形成一套完整的高能效系统，它选择每种技术的最佳 特性以实现PAN连接。

The Bluetooth v3.0+HS specification does not utilize Wi-Fi. It utilizes 802.11 which is a specification published by the IEEE. Utilizing existing Bluetooth features, such as easy pairing and profiles, enables complete solutions that are useful and make sense for consumers familiar with the technology they have used over the years in the more than three billion Bluetooth products already in the market.

        Bluetooth v3.0+HS规范不采用Wi-Fi技术，后者采用IEEE 802.11标准。使用现有的蓝牙技术特性（如简易配对与配置文件）就能实现完整的解决方案，这对熟悉蓝牙并长期采用该技术的用户很有用，因为目前市场上 存在超过30亿台蓝牙设备。

A Wi-Fi Direct connection is simply that: a network connection between two devices. Consider plugging a PC and printer into a switch using Ethernet cables and trying to print a picture. While the two devices will have network connectivity and, assuming there is IP infrastructure in place (DHCP, DNS, etc.) or they auto IP the same way, they will have the potential to communicate utilizing the IP protocol. Now, all one has to do is install an IP port for the printer and install the driver. In the home environment that isn’t too bad because the consumer probably has the printer’s driver and setting up the port once isn’t overly burdensome. However, in the home the consumer most likely has an access point and would rather make the printer available to all PCs in the house so one would most likely connect to the network via the access point instead of Wi-Fi Direct. When mobile, a driver most likely isn’t available and even if it was, installing it to print once is overly burdensome for the consumer. Once the printer is installed on the PC and the driver loaded, the picture can then be printed. Similar ease-of-use limitations occur when any popular scenario is explored.

        Wi-Fi Direct连接可简单描述为两台设备之间的网络连接。考虑以下应用：将PC和打印机与采用以太网线缆的交换机相连，并尝试打印一副图片。假设存在可用的 IP基础架构（DHCP、DNS等），当两台设备建立网络连接后，它们可尝试采用IP协议进行通信，用户需要做的只是为打印机安装IP端口和驱动。在家庭 环境中这或许是个不错的主意，因为用户可能已经安装了打印机驱动并设置了端口，这并不麻烦。不过，用户很可能还有一个接入点，并希望家里所有PC都能使用 这台打印机。因此用户可能会通过接入点建立网络连接，而不采用Wi-Fi Direct。安装打印机并加载驱动后就可以打印图片了。在很多场合都能发现类似这种易于使用的限制。

Conversely, two products implementing Bluetooth technology leverage standardized profiles. For the example above, one typically right clicks on the picture to be printed and selects “print” or “send to.” The printer is then discovered and the picture prints without requiring additional drivers or software. Simple. Easy. Effective.

       相反，采用蓝牙技术的两种设备可利用标准化协议来完成上述任务。比如，在需要打印的图片上单击右键并选择“打印”或“发送到”，网络就能发现打印机并开始打印，而无需安装额外的驱动或软件。蓝牙的特点就是简单、易用、有效。

Clearly, there are multiple solutions available for IP service discovery. Any of these could be utilized to simplify the IP-based printing scenario described above. Unfortunately, having multiple service discovery solutions overly complicates the scenario for the consumer. It is highly unlikely that manufacturers will converge on one solution. Instead, the consumer will have to understand which solution their products implement and only purchase compatible ones. Thus the Wi-Fi Direct distinction will mean very little to the consumer. Instead, they will have to understand whether they have an UPnP, Bonjour, DLNA, SLP or fill-in-the-blank product.  With a Bluetooth solution, the consumer simply needs to know they have Bluetooth enabled products.

        显然，存在多种可用的IP服务发现解决方案，任何一种解决方案都能用来简化上面提到的基于IP的打印任务。不过对用户而言，服务发现解决方案越多， 问题反而越复杂。厂商几乎不可能只采用一种解决方案，这让用户不得不自己去了解和决定购买哪种适合他们产品的解决方案。所以，Wi-Fi Direct对用户来说没什么意义，因为用户必须了解他们是否有UPnP、Bonjour、DLNA、SLP或其他能填补空白的产品。而如果用户选择蓝牙 解决方案，他们只要知道设备是蓝牙的就够了。