Symbol to Release 802.11b CF Card

Posted By: Ed Thursday, May 10, 2001 2:31:57 PM

Symbol Technologies, Inc. has announced that it will soon be releasing an IEEE802.11b wireless Compact Flash card. The Spectrum24 CF wireless LAN adapter will originally be released for the Pocket PC but Symbol said it plans to add support for the Palm OS, which means the TRGpro or HandEra 330. It will be available sometime this Summer for an as yet undisclosed price.

It uses advanced power management and throughput performance providing 11mbps wireless connectivity. It includes Symbol's new wireless LAN firmware that features advanced security features for uninterrupted roaming and mobile security.

About 802.11b 802.11b Wireless LAN, also known as Wireless Ethernet, is a radio frequency (RF) network access technology. It allows users to access information wirelessly throughout a home, business or campus location. The technology is most often used to expand the coverage of a wired LAN, but, it can also be used to replace wired networks. The technology can require the installation of access points (radio transceivers) to provide wireless coverage across a local area. Wireless LAN can also exist in a Peer-to-Peer setting, between devices that have WLAN access modules. The 802.11b standard ensures interoperability among WLAN networks by implementing regulations for WLAN product manufacturers. Businesses, schools, and other institutions often find it beneficial to standardize equipment so that they can combine hardware from different vendors. Home users who purchase 802.11b compliant products are assured that they will work with products produced by various manufacturers.

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Si, competition es bueno.

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 4:07:38 PM #

Thank god. I thought I would go insane if I had to live through the minstrel thing again. One company makes a wirless modem, and everyone has to use them. Not good for us consumers, or corps. Very happy to see someone else jump into the pit. Not only does this give a way to benchmark and compare different modules, it gives us the power to make a choice, letting the price go down at the same time. Now lets not let it turn into Tellus with their "yeah, it'll be out soon" wireless modem.

Handspring Too?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 6:37:53 PM #

Isn't there a CF Card Springboard available? That would mean all of the current Handspring models with that Springboard installed could use the Symbol 802.11B Card, right?

RE: Handspring Too?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 7:17:29 PM #

http://www.infosync.no/en/news/n/364.asp

You are not left out. Finally 802.11b solutions for almost every pda out there.

RE: Handspring Too?

Ed @ 5/10/2001 8:09:26 PM #

It is my understanding that the CF Springboard adaptors are primarily to allow Visors to use CF memory cards. The Visor isn't capable of providing all the power that some other types of CF cards need. Without any evidence to be sure that Visors with say, the MatchBook Drive, would be able to use this wireless adapter, I thought it wiser to say nothing besides what I was certain of, that the devices with built-in CF slots could use it.

As the previous poster pointed out, the Xircom Springboard is probably a better option for Visors.

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Palm Infocenter

802.11b for handera?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 6:48:42 PM #

I'd rather have 802.11b with an iPAQ than a handera. Could use it for web browsing from the living room, file management from the bathroom, but wireless ethernet seems more apropo with pocket pc platform.

RE: 802.11b for handera?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/10/2001 7:34:03 PM #

Why? You don't need a HUGE processor to render web pages (my PalmV with Omnisky proves this). I expect there'd be some benefit to more processing power -- you can't have too much, can you? -- but I'd like to know why you summarily dismiss the Handera.

Of course, if you're simply another iPaq fan trolling for hits, just ignore this question.

RE: 802.11b for handera?

frauen1 @ 5/10/2001 9:24:05 PM #

802.11b chipsets eat a lot of power (due to the higher wattage of the transmitters) - must be external power in the device (looks big enough). Apart from that, nothing un-Palm about them.

RE: 802.11b for handera?

dstrauss @ 5/10/2001 10:19:30 PM #

Perfect for the Handera, because you can run off AC from side jack if need be.

RE: 802.11b for handera?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/11/2001 1:48:05 PM #

Look at the picture of URL. Notice that the PDAs next to the adapter are Pocket PCs. I think as long as you have a sleave for the iPAQ that has a CF slot you'll be fine.

RE: 802.11b for handera?

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/25/2001 1:57:29 PM #

HandEra is aware of this card and will be supporting it.

Printing?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/21/2001 10:59:05 PM #

Any word on printing ability? it would be great to have the ability to print all of my SOAP notes without standing around the nurses station. If Printboy supported networked printing that would be great.