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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"."
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.
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!
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!