Wireless PDAs
By David English, Computer Shopper
January 9, 2001
It’s a natural to extend the functionality of PDAs with
wireless capabilities. Most PDAs already handle e-mail
and limited browsing using a dial-up connection. PDAs
are also well-equipped for adding specialized wireless
applications. More than 400 of these site-specific
programs are available for the Palm VII and the Palm
VIIx. They range in size from 1K to about 10K and run
the gamut in content -- from a continually updated
Letterman Top Ten list to a text-to-synthesized-speech
phone-message system. Currently, wireless PDAs
come in two configurations: integrated wireless PDAs
(such as the Palm VIIx) and PDAs with a detachable
wireless modem (such as the Palm V with an OmniSky
modem or a Compaq iPaq Pocket PC with an AirCard
modem).
The $449 Palm VIIx doesn’t include
a built-in Web browser, but an
excellent third-party browser,
DPWeb, is available from Digital
Paths. The basic version of DPWeb
is free; a $20 version adds
bookmarks, plus support for cookies
and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
technology. Another third-party
program, Corsoft Aileron, supports as many as three
POP3 e-mail accounts and lets you mix in your
desktop e-mail.
Palm’s wireless service plan is especially flexible. You
can opt for as little as $9.95 a month for 50K of data or
go for the unlimited-use plan for $44.95 a month. Palm
lets you switch the plan each month, so you could
choose the basic plan for months when you’re not as
busy and choose the unlimited plan for months when
you’re on the road.
If you want to add a wireless modem to a PDA, you can
choose among several options. OmniSky supports the
Palm V, Visor Platinum, and Visor Prism with its
add-on modem. The modem is normally $299, though
OmniSky regularly offers substantial rebates, such as a
$200 discount if you sign up for six months of unlimited
use for $39.95 a month. With OmniSky, you can send
and receive e-mail from as many as six POP3 e-mail
accounts. Like the Palm VIIx, it offers Web access to
sites optimized for wireless devices, as well as
essentially text-only browsing of other sites.
YadaYada offers a similar add-on modem and wireless
service for the Palm V and Handspring Visor. The
built-in browser does a better job of handling HTML and
graphics -- so much better that the company claims it
can access 100 percent of HTML-created Web sites.
The $299 modem is heavily discounted (at press time,
you could receive a $150 discount), and unlimited
service is available for $39.95 a month. Both OmniSky
and YadaYada use Novatel-manufactured Minstrel
modems, which employ Cellular Digital Packet Data
(CDPD) technology for 19.2Kbps data speeds.
On the Pocket PC side, OmniSky plans to support both
the HP Jornada and Compaq iPaq. If you need
something right away, you might consider an iPaq
H3650 Pocket PC ($499), Compaq PC Card Expansion
Pack ($149), and Sierra Wireless AirCard 300 ($399).
Unlimited-use CDPD access plans for the AirCard cost
about $50 a month. Because it’s a Type II PC Card,
you can also use the 19.2Kbps AirCard 300 in your
notebook with your standard browser and e-mail
programs. |
