Slashdot Mirror
Wireless Net on the Zaurus
An anonymous reader writes "Straight from infosync.no: "Sharp has announced the release of a wireless Internet package for Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 and SL-5000d. Using the Verizon Wireless CDPD network in US, the package includes a Compact Flash CDPD modem from Enfora, the necessary software, and a Verizon Wireless account"."
Is it just me, or does that thing look about the same size as the zaurus itself?
we can rebuild this sig. we have the technology
Has anyone here had any CDPD experience? I recently purchased an AirCard 710 for use with AT&T GSM/GPRS service, and it was awful. The hardware was flaky and coverage was dismal. I'm thinking about going to CDPD with Sprint, but am pretty discouraged after my GPRS experience.
There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
Max V.
NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
It's $40/mo for unlimited use, but it's only 19.2. If you're a bandwidth freak, it makes more sense to go with Verizon's 144kbps Express Network - unlimited plans are $100/mo, and they have PCMCIA cards as well as phones.
What's your damage, Heather?
Now if only I could BUY one of these suckers in Canada.
No GPS! What good is mobile Internet unless you know where you are??
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
Am I missing something here? My friend uses his Zaurus with a wireless card and is on the internet on it every day. He easily locates access points.
Is the news here that Sharp is providing internet access? Confused as to the news here.
Loomis
"The television is the retina of the mind's eye" - Videodrome
My boss has a Zaurus with an 802.11 card. After that story the other day about Starbuck's 'interferring' with a free 802.11 provider, I discovered that there are a LOT of Starbuck's around Portland that have the T-Mobile service ready to go. Seriously, I've been to 3 different stores that had it and 1 of them was in the mall. It's a sure bet that the bigger mall will have it soon too. (That Starbuck's is remodelling...)
This isnt' worth the $30 a month they want for it, otherwise this is a seriously cool combination with a Zaurus. I could go to the mall and do my shopping. If I'm concerned about an item costing a little too much, I could run down to the Starbuck's (or just close to it...), fire up the Zaurus, and go check out the price at a place like Newegg.com. Even better, I can find out if a competitor is running a sale! Best Buy's site will let ya order the item from the web and pick it up in the store.
As I said, this isn't worth $30 a month to me, but that's a seriously cool alternative to trying to cover the US with a cellular-like WAP cloud.
"Derp de derp."
that's half the bandwidth for twice the cost :-)
--
Happy Fun Ball got first post...because I taunted it.
CDPD was great 5 years ago, but today, GSM/GPRS is spreading out and I wouldn't recommend investing in the older, slower technology. CDPD has a data rate of 19.2kb/s, but with error correction and overhead, the users throughput is more like 10 to 15kb/s. Versus GSM, which operates at 40 to 50kb/s and is found throughout the world.
Goals are deceptive - the unaimed arrow never misses.
CDPD is one of the slowest wireless data technologies still in use. It's only 19.2kbps (max speed, you really only get 9600 and that only if you're lucky and in the middle of a cornfield next to a cell tower) and is overpriced for what you get. GSM/GPRS is a more viable option at 60kbps, or sprint's new 3G "PCS vision" service. (70kbps at the moment, has potetial for 1mbps+)
-- There's only one replacement for displacement.....
Any word on the battery life for this? I know that 802.11B sucks the batteries right out of most handheld devices. I am testing an "industrial" Symbol device (PocketPC) here at work -- and am hard pressed to surf around for more than about 45 minutes on a full charge.
Based on the size of this thing, it may have an additional battery on board. A few quick glances of the website did not make it appear that way.
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
Is every single wireless or handheld product released, submitted and posted as a story on /. I read /. to hear about the latest and greatest products too, but there seems to be some bias in the handheld and wireless markets. Is Taco getting some kickbacks from the wireless consortium or is this really the fastest growning industry sector right now?
Talk in the community is this has been unreliable and slow. (I haven't heard if it's gotten any better). It's easier and cheaper connecting with a cellular phone for now, because in a few months we'll have a choice of several higher bandwidth alternatives (Sprint Vision with a compact flash card soon, for example). We already have several bluetooth devices too, just waiting for coverage.
tcboo
The US has the unique privilege of being one of 4 countries in the world where CDMA is the de facto standard for wireless. In some countries analog or TDMA is the standard, but for the most part, everywhere outside of North America uses GSM.
Does Sharp plan on selling this wireless package outside of North America? If so, then why can't any American just pick up the European GSM version of it, and use it here? Sure, the GSM version would need to support 1900 MHz... but Sharp does expect European users to roam, no?
Well, actually, if the connection would not be "proxy based" - it could make a lot of sense - to have a always-on (even low bandwidth) connection in your pocket which does not suck your batteries in a second. But this "proxy based concept" seems to be the fun-spoiler and aimed to make your life more difficult when you actually would like to do something fun with it. Like making it more difficult to get an IP masquared for that.
I've been researching this for a while and I wanted a convenient way to access work 24x7. So I bought the sharp zaurus SL5500 and now the wireless portfolio from enfora. The portfolio looks like the better deal as I get to use my CF slot for something else.
Obviously I won't be doing much C++/Java coding through it but it will be nice when I get a call out on the town and I need to fix production.
Much better than explaining the use of the 'top' command to find a run-away process to the new operations guy. (yes, I've had to do this).
Yeah, but unless you've got a really long phone cord you can't use your ISP while sitting in trafffic, etc...
What do you know I wrote a novel
My 1/2 Gigabyte SD card came in the mail today. I have an 802.11 card from SMC in the CF slot right now. I can ssh from my desktop to the palmtop.
I am about to put the OpenZaurus load on the machine instead of the partially-proprietary load it comes with.
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
CDPD - Cellular Digital Packet Data.
The CDPD system involves sending short, relatively low speed data bursts over a voice channel of standard North American Analog Phone Service (AMPS). This allows a standard AMPS system to carry CDPD with little retrofitting of the cell towers, whereas GPRS requires a whole new system. Given that your average cell site runs about US$1M, that adds up very quickly.
CDPD is a CS/A TDMA system (Collision Sense/Collision Avoidance Time Domain Multiple Access) system - Multiple users transmit on the same frequency at different times, much like Ethernet.
CDPD is in common use for vending machines, electric meters, and other systems that need to report relatively little information.
When it first came out, years ago, I thought "YOU IDIOTS! You are pricing this PER PACKET - it will never sell. Price it flat rate and people will eat it up!" Guess what - now they are starting to look at pricing it flat rate, and it is now becoming attractive!
CDPD operates in the 800MHz US Cellular band. It can use encryption based on RSA.
I had done some work on a CDPD tester in the past.
www.eFax.com are spammers
is the availability similar as to having gprs modem in europe? (like, will it work from the deepest woods to darkest sprawl?).
my bro has a zaurus and even with just a clumsy gsmphone(with flat rate gprs) connected with ir it's attractive as hell(tho should be much more user friendly when/if he gets the bluetooth card for it), ssh&opera everywhere!
is there similar lag in this system? accessing pine through ssh is like you're on 9.6kbps modem, transfer speeds average around ~8kbytes/s when moving files though so it's pretty snappy, plugin the card from camera, click, leave it to u'l the pictures to home during night, blam, your all ready on the morning for another phototrip.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Sure imap and web browsing are neat tools for sales guys but what I really want is a way to login analyze and fix a problem with a server from anywhere.
The scenareio would go something like this:
Use remote server monitoring software to check on my server.
- If a problem occurs an email is sent to my palm pilot account.
- Using the same palm pilot I can login and fix what is wrong.
Now that would be cool. (Except if my company expects me to carry it on holidays).I have an older PDA (Cassiopeia E-125). It has a single CF slot (as from what I read does this machine).
I have been recently excited about getting a wireless CF LAN card (after rebate they are in the $35 - $40 range at BestBuy and Circuit City). Problem here is that the machine itself comes w/little on-board space and my large storage comes from ANOTHER CF card.
So, without two CF card slots (I always found laptops w/only one PCMCIA slot annoying as well) this machine is not very good for any sort of Internet connection.
When the machines come w/1G on board or a second CF slot for my Microdrive, I will make another PDA purchase.
I can do this with my Handspring Treo 300. I can get an SMS on the phone with a short description of the problem, login using ptelnet, fix the issue, and log back out. I can take my time because I'm billed on bytes, not minutes. It's a good phone too.
Actually, I think it's a great thing to have. I happen to have an OmniSky (now Earthlink) modem with my Palm Vx. I've always gotten a kick out of saying "half the bandwidth, twice the cost" to people. :-)
:-) Wonder why it doesn't say that any more?
It makes me think of what it used to say on early Jolt bottles: "Twice the caffeine and all the sugar." Too funny.
--
Happy Fun Ball got first post...because I taunted it.
I own a Z and think that wireless access would be great. But CDPD is so slowwwww! And outdated. Plus, check out their coverage chart...
l ability/index.html
http://www.verizonwireless.com/mobile_ip/svc_avai
Not much to talk about. They say most major US cities. How did they come to that?
I walk around my school running kismet, within a few minutes, I'm on!
forget it.
I went to purchase one of those little bad boys at Best Buy and they said they are no longer going to sell them. Is this PDAgoing to share the same fate as my agenda VR3?
"It takes many nails to build a crib, but one screw to fill it."
Man, that's lame. I miss Ricochet (128 kbs).
Can you ping me now? good!
Guess you didn't see the article's department:
from the can-you-ping-me-now?-good dept.
Given that Verizion and Sprint both offer unlimited 3G for $99/month... at 80K measured speeds (144K burst).... it seems foolish to use these CDPD services.
GSM/GPRS isn't the only choice. Verizion has good coverage now, Sprint's is almost everywhere.
True, but try explaining why you need to carry around the giant spool of phone cable when you get on the bus for your morning commute.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
Keypebble (VNC) is working... and still under development the only feature missing is scaling... but that is the only feature still under development... so ... this is solved as well..
From my experience with the Jornada, and the Ipaq, I would have to say any internet connectivity is better than nothing... but the only way you're going to be able to do anything other than transmit text and tiny graphics at 19.2k*(PEAK!)* baud is to plug in your 802.11b nic and go to the nearest coffee shop...
OpenSSH has been ported to the Z.
I too was on the SharpMobile beta, but as a lot of the posts point out, CDPD is too slow these days. Sharp's modem is a little large (that battery I guess), but coverage in Manhattan is great. However, the Symbol Bluetooth card and an Ericsson T39m (or T68i these days) absolutely rocks. OK, you have to be comfortable with the command line and a little fiddly set-up. Sharp's solution is for the consumer, but never the less - go for Bluetooth and a phone. Rgds Adrian
When the heck are they going to comeup with cell-phone modules for the Zaurus?
I'm getting tired of carrying both and a "unification" is past due.
enough ranting...later!
Here are a couple of screenshots of what Slashdot looks like on a Zaurus. I was connected through ethernet, not wireless. The reason you see the whole Zaurus is because I connected to the Zaurus from my Mandrake box, using FB VNC Server.
Click HERE to see Slashdot on Opera.
Click HERE to see Slashdot on Konqueror.
I recall seeing posts from "Strom Thurmond" before that deserver that sort of modding, but there's nothing trollish or offtopic about this one.
I tried a Zaurus at LinuxWorld and really wanted to buy it. It was on sale for $299, and my wife was standing next to me.
My wife said, "Buy it if you want it." But I just couldn't.
After ten minutes of futzing, I couldn't type on it. I have small hands, and I use a Motorola T900, which has a tiny keyboard too, but there's a big difference in usability between them, and even though it was clear that day that the Zaurus would have a superior wireless solution, better apps, and the coolness factor of opening up an xterm (qtterm?), I just couldn't buy it.
My fingers even actually hurt from trying to reach the number keys, which are sandwiched about 2 millimeters away from the edge and almost impossible to press. The keys themselves are oddly peg-shaped, uncomforably to press, and reminded me of the Commodore PET and the TI 99/4 chiclets.
Sharp, please benchmark against the T900 and Blackberry and try to make the keyboard more usable on the next version.
Because they're tied specifically to Verizon, you have to have Verizon CDPD in your local area to even sign up. Here in Portland, OR, we have "excellent" CDPD coverage (according to the Zaurus Mobile web site), yet they won't let me sign up because Verizon doesn't do CDPD here. If they did, I'd have to pay roaming charges of $.05/Mb (which really isn't *that* bad if I'm careful). Apparently I might be able to arm-twist them into letting me signup if I call them on the phone, but the web site checks your billing zipcode and if it's not a blessed one, you're outta luck.
I work for a company that creates a device that uses CDPD. We have been told that CDPD service will be ending within 2 years or so. Dont expect to use that card for much longer than that.
The important part is that the average pings are usually in the 500 - 1000 ms range. I tried making it work for about a month or so using it for remote net access, but I couldn't even keep an ssh session going over cdpd. The loss and lag affect it WAY to much. Save your money and wait for a faster service. CDPD is the pits of cell technology.
Doh!
(slinks away quietly)...
... is like putting an Archer 8-track stereophonic in your new Lexus. Sound comes out, but it's just plain wrong.
Anybody want a peanut?
CDPD slow and dated? Perhaps, but how much bandwidth do you really need to a freakin' PDA?
I have been a CDPD subscriber for several years now. Infact, i am currently on a CDPD connection as of this posting. It has been a very reliable service for me in the Seattle area -- both in coverage and in up-time. I have used this service on both my palm pilot and laptop.
My palm pilot experience was probably the best. Since most web browsers on the palm made use of compression proxies, load times were as snappy as a modem. SSH, telnet, email, etc. from the palm was very responsive. I have done circuit turnups and various other network engineering tasks from this device without fail. Switch techs would sometimes ask what all that noise was....id be driving one day, or at the mall the next...it was a riot.
19.2kbps on a laptop isnt all that bad either. I am able to surf the web, IRC, check email, use various instant messaging clients, SSH, webcam, etc. from my laptop with little trouble. Plus, i can do this from the car, plane, bus, park, etc.
As a network engineer (and frequently being "on call") this service has been a life saver countless times.
Until recently, there has no real alternative. Especially with the wide footprint CDPD provides. Circuit switched is expensive, 802.11b coverage is non-existant, and GPRS is expensive and immature. My GPRS experiences have been absolutely horrible -- enough for me to cancel service.
CDPD is unlimited, cheap, and although a little slow, completely bareable. And when no internet is my alternative, i choose CDPD.
You guys can dog CDPD all you want, but I love it!
CDPD is slow, expensive, lossy, and otherwise sucks ass. Just say no.
Greeting- My comments have been up on the Sharp Wireless Service and the Enfora modem that they sell for the Zaurus for many months at http://zaurus.wynn.com/. I found it so unusable that I dropped the service in favor of using public access 802.11 sites in the NYC area. There are more and more of them!
I am in the US, and I get full internet access via my Zaurus and Motorola Timeport GSM/GPRS phone. AT&T is my WAP. It is much cheaper than the set-up they are talking about (concidering that I can use the phone for voice) and probably at least as fast. I belive that the speed is limited by the IRDA connection from the phone to the zaurus. No software is required, I just had to hack up the proper settings. I'll include more info if this gets posted and there is interest.
since i have been reading slashdot (on the john) every morning for the past year, i would point out that if you take a dlink 802.11 card for an ipaq, bandsaw off the ears so yoy can get to the pen and the audio, you can run opera just fine. btw, why is it some days slashdot fits ok on the screen and some days runs over? gotta go my legs are falling asleep.
GPRS is pretty young, give it some time. They'll improve the service.
Plus, sprint now offers 1xRT service, (BTW, this is not 3g as most ppl define it).
I've only played with it briefly at the Sprint store, but Sprint's phone service is pretty good around here (NYC/LI).
They're also offering a 3 mos. discount right now.
T-Mobile actually bought the assets of the original company. I forget the name....
I think they had almost every Starbucks covered.
The original company folded like a 10 high poker hand.
I've got an 802.11 WAP. I picked it up because my .. to get more range. If I do that then maybe a zuarus with wifi would be cool. The cable internet access I have is enough for the house, I wouldn't want to buy any more bandwidth, or pay for
sife didn't want me running cat5 or fiber through the
closets to the second floor. My first floor is wired since I have a cellar it was easy to do. Anyway I was
thinking about burying a cat 5 cable to my shed in the back, mount a dipole antennea tuned for the 2.4Ghz band
CDPD.
Air-H. 128K always-on connection on a Compact Flash card...with none of the extra crap seen on the Enfora modem.
http://www.ddipocket.co.jp/syohin/ah-h401c.html