Evaluating the Plantronics Explorer 240 Bluetooth Headset

I've always been kind of irritated by those kinds of folks... you know, the ones that ALWAYS walk around with a bluetooth headset in their ear. The ones that especially pissed me off were the ones with a bluetooth headset, a three-piece suit, and a grande mocha latte (or whatever) from Starbucks... they just come across as people who take themselves FAR too seriously.

With that said though, there are three things that helped me realize the wisdom of a bluetooth headset...

1) I am a computer geek. And over the years, I've learned that it's no fun to try to type a command on a keyboard while holding the phone. The same thing applies to crawling behind a computer located in a dark corner. Bluetooth is VERY handy during long, drawn-out tech support calls.

2) Driving and talking on the phone is also a drag if you have to hold the phone. Furthermore, some states REQUIRE hands-free driving. Driving is another situation where bluetooth is awesome.

3) Talking to my mom. Look, I love my mom to death, but that woman can talk. I can't count how many hour-plus conversations I've had with her over the years. When it comes to talking to my mom, bluetooth and cellular service are a Godsend. They allow me to do other things (like scrub my toilet, or work on my belly button lint sweater) while I talk to my mom.

As you've probably concluded, I broke down and bought a Plantronics Explorer 240 bluetooth headset just shy of a month ago. I will spare you a long, drawn-out evaluation and simply say that I like it. It's got good battery life, and good voice quality, both for me AND for the person on the other end of the call. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's uncomfortable sitting in my ear for hours on end. But that's because I wear glasses, and both of the over-the-ear pieces are competing for limited space. This isn't a design flaw on Plantronics' part.

Now with that said, if you do invest in a bluetooth headset, you should know a couple of things...

1) You look like a dork douche if you always walk around with your headset on. If you're not actively on a phone call, put the damn thing away.

2) Be prepared for people to not realize that you're on the phone when you use a bluetooth headset. If you're listening to the person on the other end of the phone, be prepared for friends, family and co-workers to not notice the headset, walk up to you, and just start yammering away as if nothing's going on in your world. Be patient with them. Try to come up with some sort of sign to explain that you're on the phone. If you're speaking, be prepared for them to look at you as if you've lost your mind, because they'll think you're talking to yourself.

3) Re-read rule number one. Seriously. If you're not actively using the headset, put it away.