Are We There Yet? - Wireless Internet
| Category: PC KNOW HOW | Date: 2002-09-02 |
If today's Internet is an infant, then wireless Internet is just a gleam in the world's eye. And, if you think that land-based Internet is a big deal, wait until wireless kicks in. Its impact on society, culture and commerce will dwarf what we've seen so far.
But for now, keep your expectations lowered. Speedy and robust wireless Internet usage will be realized only after serious technological issues related to hardware, costs, protocols and security have been addressed.
Cell Phones
Forget about surfing the web, watching video, and downloading music files. Your phone probably displays about four lines of text, with little to no graphics. Data entry is extremely tedious, where up to four key-taps are required to enter just one letter. Just try typing an email message with your phone keypad.
Then wait for the cell phone bill. In the U.S. and in Europe, it could cost $5 to read and reply to an email message. Keep in mind that cell phone technology was designed for voice, not for data. You pay by the minute, not by the typed letter or by the kilobyte. In the time it takes to double or triple-tap your way through the letters of a word, you could have listened to a paragraph.
Current phone applications are limited to email, calendars, address books and small pieces of timely data: news briefs, stock quotes, sports scores and driving directions.
Incompatible standards have held back acceptance and use of wireless Internet. In the U.S., providers have implemented a variety of incompatible signal transmission technologies. Contrast that with Japan and Europe, where more widespread use can be traced to standardized technologies.
The painfully slow speed of data transfer is a major limiting factor. At best, you'll get about 9 kilobits per second, roughly one-fifth the speed of a land modem. And you thought your AOL connection was slow!
Handhelds (PDAs)
The picture's brighter for handheld users, even though the same access speed limitations apply. The newer Palm VIIx has a built-in wireless modem, but you must subscribe to palm.net's service. Monthly fees range from $9.99 (limited to 50K transfer) to $45.99 (unlimited transfer).
To get wireless access for other handhelds, you can probably use your current ISP as long as you either attach a wireless modem to your handheld, or connect your handheld (via cable or infrared) to your cell phone. For the latter, check with your phone manufacturer for options.
Handhelds have much larger screen display than do phones. Data input is much easier, too, with an on-screen keyboard and handwriting recognition. Email is doable, but you won't be able to work with extremely long messages or attachments.
With a handheld you can access over 500 PDA-enabled web sites by registering for free at web clipping portals like avantgo.com or palm.net. Web clippings are essentially scaled-down-for-handheld versions of web sites. The portals offer customizable access to an impressive variety of news, business, travel, sports, entertainment, and shopping sites.
Even with handhelds, you won't be able to do the things you're used to doing on your laptop or desktop PC. The trick is to focus on what you can do, and manage expectations accordingly.
The Future
As the song says, "the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades." Many of today's wireless limitations will go away as advances in bandwidth, protocols and hardware come to light.
Eventually, access speed and bandwidth will improve by leaps and bounds when 3G (third generation) technology is in place. 3G is a generic term for newer high-speed wireless network technologies. As a point of reference, 1G is voice-only analog. 2G represents the current relatively slow digital services that carry both voice and data.
A potential drawback to 3G access is that users within a particular cell may end up sharing bandwidth, sort of like cable modems today. As more users log on, an individual's share of the bandwidth decreases.
3G is currently in the experimental stage. It should be available in 2004 for major cities, but possibly not until 2010 for rural areas.
The future of hardware is cloudy. Newly available hybrid devices called smartphones combine a cell phone and PDA. The Kyocera 6035 combines all the features of a Palm VIIx with a full-featured phone. However, it doesn't come cheap at $500, and its display is a little hard to read. The Samsung SPH-I300, available this summer, offers the same functionality with a color screen but no keypad. User reaction to the Kyocera smartphone has been positive so far, so look for manufacturers to come out with sleeker and more powerful models over the next few years.
Summary
Are we there yet? Yes, if your expectations are low, if you don't mind slow access and limited functionality. There is definitely an industry shift from a PC-centric Internet to a mobile one. Jump in at any time.
(This article is part of WEBtheJOINT's continuing series of "Are We There Yet?" articles which summarize the practical status of new technologies and opportunities for small business web presences.)
by Keith Reichley April, 2001
About the Author
Keith Reichley is webmaster for webthejoint.com, the web resource center for small business.
:To contact Keith online see details below.
keith@webthejoint.com
http://www.webthejoint.com
But for now, keep your expectations lowered. Speedy and robust wireless Internet usage will be realized only after serious technological issues related to hardware, costs, protocols and security have been addressed.
Cell Phones
Forget about surfing the web, watching video, and downloading music files. Your phone probably displays about four lines of text, with little to no graphics. Data entry is extremely tedious, where up to four key-taps are required to enter just one letter. Just try typing an email message with your phone keypad.
Then wait for the cell phone bill. In the U.S. and in Europe, it could cost $5 to read and reply to an email message. Keep in mind that cell phone technology was designed for voice, not for data. You pay by the minute, not by the typed letter or by the kilobyte. In the time it takes to double or triple-tap your way through the letters of a word, you could have listened to a paragraph.
Current phone applications are limited to email, calendars, address books and small pieces of timely data: news briefs, stock quotes, sports scores and driving directions.
Incompatible standards have held back acceptance and use of wireless Internet. In the U.S., providers have implemented a variety of incompatible signal transmission technologies. Contrast that with Japan and Europe, where more widespread use can be traced to standardized technologies.
The painfully slow speed of data transfer is a major limiting factor. At best, you'll get about 9 kilobits per second, roughly one-fifth the speed of a land modem. And you thought your AOL connection was slow!
Handhelds (PDAs)
The picture's brighter for handheld users, even though the same access speed limitations apply. The newer Palm VIIx has a built-in wireless modem, but you must subscribe to palm.net's service. Monthly fees range from $9.99 (limited to 50K transfer) to $45.99 (unlimited transfer).
To get wireless access for other handhelds, you can probably use your current ISP as long as you either attach a wireless modem to your handheld, or connect your handheld (via cable or infrared) to your cell phone. For the latter, check with your phone manufacturer for options.
Handhelds have much larger screen display than do phones. Data input is much easier, too, with an on-screen keyboard and handwriting recognition. Email is doable, but you won't be able to work with extremely long messages or attachments.
With a handheld you can access over 500 PDA-enabled web sites by registering for free at web clipping portals like avantgo.com or palm.net. Web clippings are essentially scaled-down-for-handheld versions of web sites. The portals offer customizable access to an impressive variety of news, business, travel, sports, entertainment, and shopping sites.
Even with handhelds, you won't be able to do the things you're used to doing on your laptop or desktop PC. The trick is to focus on what you can do, and manage expectations accordingly.
The Future
As the song says, "the future's so bright, I gotta wear shades." Many of today's wireless limitations will go away as advances in bandwidth, protocols and hardware come to light.
Eventually, access speed and bandwidth will improve by leaps and bounds when 3G (third generation) technology is in place. 3G is a generic term for newer high-speed wireless network technologies. As a point of reference, 1G is voice-only analog. 2G represents the current relatively slow digital services that carry both voice and data.
A potential drawback to 3G access is that users within a particular cell may end up sharing bandwidth, sort of like cable modems today. As more users log on, an individual's share of the bandwidth decreases.
3G is currently in the experimental stage. It should be available in 2004 for major cities, but possibly not until 2010 for rural areas.
The future of hardware is cloudy. Newly available hybrid devices called smartphones combine a cell phone and PDA. The Kyocera 6035 combines all the features of a Palm VIIx with a full-featured phone. However, it doesn't come cheap at $500, and its display is a little hard to read. The Samsung SPH-I300, available this summer, offers the same functionality with a color screen but no keypad. User reaction to the Kyocera smartphone has been positive so far, so look for manufacturers to come out with sleeker and more powerful models over the next few years.
Summary
Are we there yet? Yes, if your expectations are low, if you don't mind slow access and limited functionality. There is definitely an industry shift from a PC-centric Internet to a mobile one. Jump in at any time.
(This article is part of WEBtheJOINT's continuing series of "Are We There Yet?" articles which summarize the practical status of new technologies and opportunities for small business web presences.)
by Keith Reichley April, 2001
About the Author
Keith Reichley is webmaster for webthejoint.com, the web resource center for small business.
:To contact Keith online see details below.
keith@webthejoint.com
http://www.webthejoint.com
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