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Palm Finally Announces SD WiFi Card
Estranged42 writes "After years of waiting, Palm announced today that it will release an SD 802.11b card for its Tungsten T3 and Zire 72 handhelds. This comes after years of anticipation and speculation about this card ever happening. It should be arriving sometime in September for $129. I think I'm still looking forward to getting one. The Register and others are carrying the story."
I can't see the advantage of using a palm over using a small notebook (12" ibook or powerbook for example) - espiecally for browsing using Wifi cards as shown here. A compacted and hard to read screen compared to a full internet browser. Surely the space it takes up is made up for in usability nowdays.
Business Voyeur
I bought a Linksys one for my WinCE PDA over two years ago for half that.
What a rip off.
I don't read or respond to AC posts
Or, put another way: Why not the faster 11g?
Using the faster protocol would appeal the power users, and the early adopters that go for the hi-speed buzzwords.
I can't wait to find out if this will work with my Treo 600 mobile phone. It runs Palm OS 5.2.1 and it has an SD Card slot so I am optimistic. Although the Treo 600 already gets Internet access using the cellular phone system 802.11b would allow MUCH faster connection speed when a wireless network is available.
This is really, really cool! Now I can... erm... well... Hotsync without a cradle! Yeah, that's it!
Joking aside, anyone have any practical uses for such a gadget? In my experience, networking Palm Pilots hasn't helped them do much more. Sure, you can do WAP type stuff, but so can your cell phone.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
I wonder if this new SD card will work in the Treo 600. It runs Palm 5 and has an SDIO slot; sure would be sweet to have a Palm/WiFi/Bluetooth/CDMA phone.
"You can't dissect him, predict him, which of course means he's not a lunatic at all."
it'd better work well 1st time around, cause otherwise they're gonna have a mob on their hands, considering how long this has taken, espically since its only for two palms.
So its just like the ones from say Sandisk, but twice as expensive? With inovation like this its no wonder Palm is at the top of the PDA market.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
This is fortunate since there has been a SanDisk SD WiFi card for a while, but only Zire71 compatible.
http://www.engadget.com/entry/5574704268292237/
Now I can use PalmVNC for cross-platform VNC sessions to my UNIX and Win32 boxen and PSSH to enable SSH2 connections! I wonder if this will work easily in public Wi-Fi hotspots, thinking with regards to quick 802.11b configuration and real-world interoperability?
While a 12 ibook was considered small 3 years ago, there are a lot better options when considering a portable laptop. The IBM x40, Fujitsu P series, or the Sony Picturebook are just a few examples.
Or, put another way: Why not the faster 11g?
Using the faster protocol would appeal the power users, and the early adopters that go for the hi-speed buzzwords.
I'm glad you didn't say anything about the real-world benefits of 11g (vice 11b) for a PDA; as far as I can tell there wouldn't be any. (Not flaming - just an observation.) PDAs typically aren't used to download large files, and may not be able to keep up with a saturated higher-speed connection. (Think (firehose + teacup).)
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
Although I've not used it yet, I'm more inclined to try Enfora's product first. It's a nice case + a battery of its own so you won't kill the Palm's battery by running WiFi. Also, it works with any of the recent palms that have the universal connector, it's not limited to the T3 and the Zire seventy-whatever. Home page: http://www.enfora.com.
This is excellent. Now maybe after i lose THIS tiny expensive peice of hardware it can be friends with my 512mb thumbdrive and my USB bluetooth adapter, wherever they may be. Its nice to know they wont be lonley. Maybe they can use the 802.11 to signal thier location, like Gilligans Island.
From SanDisk http://www.sandisk.com/retail/256mb-wifi-sd.asp:
From Brighthand (older link):
I still miss my Palm.
Palm had a good thing going, but they have fallen behind in the past few years. I love my Palm, but I think it's too little, too late. My next PDA won't be a Palm. They're losing their competitive pricing. Other companies have had wireless for a long time that is much less expensive.
For ages it was rumored that there would be a MS WiFi adapter. Then one was done, but only for certain OS 5 PDA's.
6 .shtml
I emailed SanDisk, and here's what they said:
http://robert.accettura.com/archives/00026
Sucks don't it?
PalmInfocenter has a good Review posted
Once you use the T3 for any amount of time you realize it's too powerful a machine to stay unconnected; and bluetooth/IR through the cellphone is way too expensive. WiFi enables connection in any of the plenty of hotspots in town, and the T3 already comes with software to check e-mail and do browsing (full-fledged browser, although sometimes the screen size is a bit limiting). I also have a ssh app which will be far more useful if I can actually connect; not to mention VNC which will be great for remote diagnostics. I can actually see myself using one of these...
Here is a nice full review from PalmInfocenter. It goes into full details and testing of the new SDIO Wireless card from PalmOne.
Some have asked how is this different than the SanDisk SDIO Wireless card for Palm that was released a short time ago. This description from SanDisk explains that its card is only for the Palm Zire 71 and products using recent versions of MS PocketPC. The new PalmOne card supports the Zire 72 and Tungsten T3, which the SanDisk card does not (apparently due to driver compatibility issues).
I own a PalmOne Tungsten E, which is the business value model, and there is not wireless support via SDIO cards, and doesn't look to be one available due to the power constraints of the Tungsten E model. Apparently, there have been some tests run with the SanDisk card on the Tungsten E, and it will work, but long-term effects on the SDIO slot have not been studied, and there could be damaging effects on the unit. Tungsten E users that want some sort of wireless connection should check out the Enfora Wireless Portfolio Case which seems to be the only wireless connection available for the Tungsten E.
Personally, I don't need wireless via my PDA since I already have a laptop and wireless card, but I know it is a nice feature, and on a future PDA I would want wireless to be available.
A computer is a valuable tool, so use it and stop whining.
A Dell X30 with WiFi and Bluetooth can be purchased for $170 on sale, or about $250, full list.
So if this thing costs $130, and the T3 costs $300, that leave us with a price tag of $430.
Ahem.
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
Duke Nukem forever, here we come!
Won't be long now...
You are checking your backups, aren't you?
You'll definitely need this to HotSync your Zire 71 when the stupid internal sync/charge cable problem starts kicking in as it has on mine.
A palm has address book, calendar and secure applications for passwords, etc...
I would think ten times before having my palm accessing or "accessible" via WiFi.
Yes, I am at the paranoid side, but in this age, you have to be so.
Wifi is not an option for me unless there is solid security such as runing two different systems on a Palm similar to a PC. Until that is an option, my Palm is offline.
Um...I last rebooted my powerbook for the 10.3.5 system update. Prior to that, I had a 38 day uptime. Furthermore- I've rarely actually run out of battery time. I laugh when people talk about boot up times- they've clearly never used a powerbook if they make such an inane comment. You open the lid. 2 seconds later you've got your network connections and you can start work, unless you turned on password locking. Hell, half the time my SSH tunnels are still useable- even after the PB has been asleep for hours! Not like reboots take any more than a minute on a 1Ghz G4 anyway.
Comparing a laptop to a PDA is absurd. You can't watch video/DVDs, surf webpages with any decent speed or clarity, or write with anything approaching speed or easy of use(I guarantee I can type at least ten times faster than you can "grafiti"). I'd also like to see you fit 60GB of data onto your palm pilot. Even if it was possible- its OS couldn't efficiently handle that much storage.
A lot of people can use their palms as easily as a computer. For some folks, it's even easier.
Um, are you seriously suggesting people can just "pick up" grafiti? It took me weeks before I could stop looking at the cheat sheet.
With my iPod and phone (Siemens S56) both supporting full contact info and calendaring as well as text notes for things like directions, I sync them both to iCal and Address Book with two clicks. My Visor has been sitting in the closet gathering dust for 3 years.
Please help metamoderate.
Blanket statements like "Palms are inferior to PocketPCs" always amaze me, particularly in this case.
Maybe it's because I have a strong (and contrarian) opinion on what a PDA is used for. One doesn't get a PDA when what one needs is a notebook computer.
One gets a PDA to organize one's life: keep phone lists, to-dos, calendars, project management, password caches, and databases of system configurations and favorite restaurants and people's birthdays; read electronic books; and play an occasional time-wasting puzzle games. Maybe in rare cases do a Google search, or get crossword help from OneAcross.com, or download a map to your next meeting.
But if you're wanting to edit Excel spreadsheets, organize photo collections, edit your novel, create PowerPoint presentations, do nonlinear movie editing, etc, why not use something that's designed for that kind of activity? Why not use something that has a mega-pixel display? I have a reasonably portable 5 lb, 12", Unix-based notebook that I can do all that stuff on.
But for my PDA, I don't want all the complexity and extra features. I want reliability, simplicity, and long battery life. I don't want an OS that I have to update and patch and worry about. I do think it's a grand idea to have my PDA integrated into my phone, but I don't want to have to worry about all that other stuff. A PDA is about stability. It's about utility. It's not about extreme versatility.
And I don't want a camera in my PDA. If I'm going to take pictures, I want a real quality lens. I want decent dynamic range. I want 3 fps at useful resolution (e.g., 3008x2000 pixels). I have a digital camera that is designed for the single purpose of doing good digital photography. I don't want half-assed features just for the benefit of having them integrated into one box.
Feh!
Well, I guess I'm a Luddite.
Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
www.fogbound.net
So why is the card only available for the T3 and Zire 72, and not other models with SD slots? The official answer from palmOne is: Following market and development-cost analysis, palmOne wanted to develop a Wi-Fi card that will be applicable to its Zire 72 and Tungsten T3 handhelds. These solutions require very tight integration between hardware, firmware and custom software, as well as access to propriety technologies for the level of tight integration necessary to give the customer an excellent experience. In other words it sounds like the differences between other models SD slots and other factors such as power draw and battery capacity, made is cost prohibitive to develop it for other handhelds.
hmmm, I'm thinking they are just pushing their newer products.
Bluetooth so I can iSync without a cable
320x320 screen
If they're going to leave that damn camera, then let it take video. MPEG-4 or H.264 clips.
Last but not least expansion with SDIO for GPS, WiFi, ...etc.
Found a great Treo 600 holster from Seidio, that would protect the screen well. Just like my Treo 180 (which is one reason I like it, but the flip phone part is susceptable to breakage).
Actually check out https://www.enfora.com/shop/detail.aspx?ID=36, it uses the USB port instead of the SD. I am thinking about picking up one once it comes back in stock.. A little more expensive but it also comes with a little more.