Dear Kenny @makeblock,
I really hope Makeblock will work on an update of the mBlock for Windows to get the program to work with other Bluetooth device than your own dongle.
I have bought the mBot Ranger and if I do use mBlock for any Android devices I own running Bluetooth 4.0 I have no issue to connect via Bluetooth, Updating firmware, program, and controlling the device is no issue at all. But as soon as I want to use mBlock for Windows, from a computer also which also run Bluetooth 4.0 I get the message stating that it cannot run because of Bluetooth 4.0.
So I ask myself why have Makeblock made the Android version compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 but not the Windows version of the same program. I do realize that there is a different with the lib files running on an Android device than the lib file for Windows. I could understand if it has only been a question of time before you would make an update fixing the compatible issue. It is simply a bad excuse just to blame the driver for being the issues. It should not be necessary to install generic driver to make the program able to connect to the program.
For many years I have working as an external service provider for HP and my knowledge about software, drivers etc is quite high. Every time we do discover some compatibility issue caused by either HP drivers or HP’s native program we do report it and HP take this kind of feed back really seriously and try find solutions as fast as possible. I know neither the seize of the company and budget for Makeblock cannot be compare to one of biggest IT companies in the world. But that it seem like Makeblock do not even state that they are working on a solution is really frustrating. However Makeblock is fully aware about the issue. But the solution is not even a solution but a workaround, which do not even work for all user depending of the chipset build into the Bluetooth device in the computer, by installing a generic driver from the Zadig tool.
I did try to install a generic driver and it did not work for 2 of my three labtops. For the one labtop where i managed to get it to work, with a driver from Zadig, I did unfortunately started having disconnection issue for other devices which I connect via Bluetooth. And of course this is not Makeblock fault at all. The issue is because of the generic driver from Zadig miss some tweaks in the driver so there will be unintended disconnections. I can simply not imagine that Makeblock should be unaware about that manufacturers do a lot of work when making drivers to avoid unintended functionality and failures. There is a really good reason for them not to use generic drivers as they are far from optimal to use.
I did also try to use a generic driver from Microsoft, which in no way cause unintended disconnection. But this driver does also not work with mBlock.
So Makeblock, I do hope that you will start to looking in to the connectivity issue in mBlock for Windows instead of just referring to use your own dongle, which I’m sure you have also worked hard for to tweak the belonging driver to work properly or refer people who do not own or want to buy a dongle from Makeblock to install generic drivers from Zadig. If you are able to make it mBlock for Android to work with Bluetooth 4.0 you should really also be able to make it work in windows with Bluetooth devices and driver from other that Makeblock.