Practical Universal Wireless

A reader writes "A story in Technology Review today outlines the advances in wireless that need to take place before wireless broadband can be effecitive. Quite frankly, I'm getting a little sick of the whole notion of wireless internet access and until improvements are made to both wireless input and output devices, the only thing I will use the "wireless web" for is to check a Red Sox score."

Comments

Re:so many choices so little time

[rho]

E.g. If there were a combo pager/cell/pda I think many people would flock to it, provided it wasn't filled with bloat.

If there was a hover-car/boat/jet plane, I think many people would flock to it, provided it wasn't expensive.

Bloat is relative -- vis. emacs vs. vi religious wars. I don't want my Palm acting as a phone. It's too unweildy to use as a phone (the width of it, I mean). However, I sure think it's stupid that I have phone numbers in two places -- in my phone and in my Palm. I'd like to be able to sync those to together. However, I don't want to be FORCED to carry both (i.e. in order to recall phone numbers I have to have the Palm). If they synced automagically, even better.

The screen size is not the problem -- you can display plenty of information on a very small screen. As an example, look at a regular 10 digit display calculator. In the hands of a mathmatician, it can convey MASSIVE ammounts of information in a meaningful way. A Palm (or even a cellphone display) can do the same, as long as the information is displayed in such a way that the information is easily retrievable.

It's not the ammount of information, it's how it's presented.

"Beware by whom you are called sane."

Re:who actually uses this for business?

[brassrat77]

I do. Using palm Vx and Omnisky:

email when I'm remote and away from a net connection - regularly.

look up tech info on a website - several times - depends on which web browser works (Avantgo is best overall as a web browser, but syncing channels wirelessly is PAINFUL)

get directions/phone numbers to someplace I am trying to find (work and personal)

check stocks - became too painful watching my alleged net worth evaporate

trade stocks - haven't bothered to make necessary changes to my account

Check news, slashdot - when I'm bored, assuming there is a PQA out there (or I'll start using sitescooper)

remote access via ssh to other boxes - several times when I needed it and this was only way. Also handy for irc access.

Granted, the connections are sometimes slow and not always reliable, even in places you'd expect them to be solid. And the omnisky software can go belly-up at the damndest times.

I was reading the Tech Review article last night, and I think the combination of dual-mode (CPDP + digital network) "modems" and improvements to the software will make wireless access "good enough", at least for techno-geek early adopters.

As my spouse rarely uses a PDA for more than an address and appointment book, I think it'll be a while for the masses. And USEFUL unification of PDAs, phones, 2-way pagers is even further off.

Sports Scores

[gmhowell]

While I'm no fan of the Sox (unfortunately, I have to love Peter Angelos' monument to the ego, the Baltimore Orioles), there is this nifty new technology that lets you not only get scores, but also get play-by-play coverage of the game! It doesn't require a computer, and is so simple, my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother could use it. Heck, it doesn't need a power cord, and some don't even need batteries.

Now, you do need to be close to a transmitter (kind of like with the wireless internet thing) but they are all over the world. Everywhere. It's amazing how this thing has taken off. This guy named Marconi invented the whole thing in his basement, so he should get plenty of Slashdot cred.

Heck, like TCP/IP the protocol is totally open source, and it's easy to build your own transmitter or receiver. Heck, there is even a simple encryption scheme available.

But wait, there's more. With a simple hardware add on, you can enjoy interactive events and IM.

I tell you. This technology is here, and it is here to stay. Give it a chance. You might enjoy it.

so many choices so little time

[joq]

The whole wireless ploy has become such overkill, that it's stomach turning. The benefits of having a Palm or other device for Wireless access is not a neccessity by any means in real world scenarios, they just make things easier.

Too many companies are trying to focus on stamping out product after product while failing to give just one definite product to handle it all.

E.g. If there were a combo pager/cell/pda I think many people would flock to it, provided it wasn't filled with bloat. Not saying bloat is always bad, but I see many of these wireless PDA's on the market with nothing worth true substance to make me want to buy it.

I have my cell, page, laptop which I carry around, so other than trying to keep up with the Jones' I see no need to run out and buy something I already have by carrying around my other gizmo's.

One, my laptop stores more info than a PDA, and its easier to use than scrolling a little pen over a small ass screen. Secondly my pager sends me news every hour, and I can receive email on it too. My phone can receive the same, news, and email, so what makes the PDA companies think I need to carry extra baggage to access these features. Typical email can wait, as if there is an emergency, via pager or cellphone, I can be emailed or paged.

Should I need to store information, I would rather jot it down on good old pen and paper to xfer it to my pc's should I not have on powered on. Just imagine getting a super models phone number then smashing your PDA by accident (bad example but hopefully many will see the probs I find with PDA based stuff). You're screwed.

While companies may brainstorm on how big of a screen they should make, or what new programs they could insert on the limited diskspace, maybe one, just one vendor can do something a'la mid sized (between PDA, and Laptop sized) all in one combo phone/pager/laptop and do away with all those annoying little PDA's.

A Waste of Time?

[ackthpt]

I'll admit, I have a laptop and have had a cell phone a few times, but the need to be anywhere and connect has been somewhat overrated. When I'm out and about I never take my laptop with me (they get stolen too easy.) If I was able to view stuff on my phone or on a PDA I'd still not be inclined to use it. Cell phones (i.e. mobile wireless communication) are pretty easy to use, so much that I see people driving, walking, eating, etc. with one on the side of their head (gee, how did they survive without one?) But I believe about 0.01% of these calls are necessary. Wireless networking would fall a few points above that, particularly if you were a customer representative/salesperson. For the rest of us? Another expensive toy.

--
All your .sig are belong to us!

Advances in USER INTERFACES, not wireless

[sstammer]

From my reading, the article deals with advances in the user interfaces for mobile systems. It has very little to do with wireless communications. The UI issues would be equally applicable to a system that had no wireless communications, with the I/O devices connected via wires.