[WhollyMindless]

Bluetooth GPS receivers for the most part, just expose a serial connection to a computer or a ppc and any program that knows how to use a "standard" GPS can read the messages and use that to determine where and how fast the receiver is. (Hooking it up to a desktop isn't all that interesting from a mobility perspective.)

I was worried when I bought mine but the market has really matured to the point that it's really seems to be hard to find a combination that doesn't work. The standards are pretty solid now.

(Oh, you were talking about the online nightmares - Shopping issues, not product issues. It's hard to be sure you're dealing with a reputable company online still. The big boys can and do take advantage of that by not being the most competitive pricing or customer service. Find a good small retailer and support them - or Buy Local. Remember that they're your neighbors and if they are out of a job they'll break into your house. Hope they steal your GPS so you can track them down)