Monday, August 18, 2014

Cricut Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter Review

Two weeks ago I promised you a review of the Cricut Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter and I am pleased to report that I like it. To see my Cricut Explore review, please click here.


The Pros:

I did my happy dance when I loaded the Bluetooth adapter to my Windows 8.1 laptop and was able to get rid of the USB cord connecting my Explore to my laptop. Keep in mind when you link your cartridges to the Explore or do a firmware update, you need to use your Cricut USB cord to connect your Explore to your computer.

Thanks to the adapter, I was able to move my new Cricut Explore to our family room located 24 feet from my craft room. I have more space for creating and the Explore loves her new home.

Another plus, the speed and performance of my Explore did not change when I went wireless.

Next, I paired the adapter with my iPad and it worked perfectly. I can open the Make It Now projects on my iPad and send them directly to my Explore to cut.

The Cons:

The iPad application only works with the Make It Now projects and does not let you customize your Make It Now projects.

You can use this adapter with up to eight “host” devices at a time, but according to Cricut customer service, all of the devices need to use the same operating system. In other words, since I am using it on my Windows 8.1 laptop and my iPad, I cannot run them wirelessly at the same time. When I want to use my PC wirelessly, I need to un-pair my iPad. However, it is easy enough to un-pair, so I really don’t mind.

Summary:

I am happy that I purchased the adapter. It has uncluttered my craft room and allows me to use my laptop and cut wirelessly from 25 feet away. Since I bought the adapter during Cricut’s 40% off sale, I paid significantly less than the current retail price of $49.99. I would recommend that you shop around for the best price.

To learn how to pair your new device and to learn if your Mac or PC has Bluetooth please visit Cricut’s page and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Also be sure to check out the system requirements listed on Cricut’s shop page  to make sure your machine(s) are compatible. Be sure to click on the details tab.

To download the free iPad app click here. Please keep in mind that you need to purchase the Cricut
Explore Wireless Bluetooth Adapter to use the iPad app.

Also check out Ken’s how-to video if you have time! I love Ken Kreation’s channel.

Have a great day!



4 comments:

Sandra said...

I used my Explore and the bluetooth for the first time this past weekend. I loved it! I can't believe I waited so long to use the machine. Thanks for the review.

Sandra

Linda Kaiser said...

Sandra, I am loving mine too!

Scrappy Pink Corner said...

Hi Linda. Thank you so much for this review of the adapter. I was debating to get it or not, but you have made it very clear that it would work fine.
If I have a laptop can I use the cricut program to make my cuts or do I only use the make it now projects program?
I was debating a laptop or an ipad to take to crops and be able to cut images if I want.
Could you do a comparison on the two programs for us? I would really appreciate it.
Thank you, Ana

Linda Kaiser said...

Ana, if you have a laptop you can use the Design Space software to size and cut your images. If you have an iPad at this time you can only do the Make it Now projects and you can not make any changes to those projects.

I recommend that you download the free software and play with it. That way you will be able to see the differences between the two.

Also keep in mind that to use your laptop or an iPad you need an Internet Connection.

Hope this helps.

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