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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: slacker711 who wrote (32719)	2/21/2003 10:12:39 AM
From: hiker90	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197248

....a Verizon Wireless Express Network review from the back page of Wednesday's Houston Chronicle business section..... chron.com Feb. 19, 2003, 9:54PM WORKING@HOME Take-along wireless Internet a real innovation By CHEYL CURRID Copyright 203 Houston Chronicle A big promise of today's technology is to give you the information you want, when you want it. Some industry professionals would like to deliver a box of "any" components. That is, give you any information, anytime, anywhere, usable on any device, so you can share it with anyone. Technologywise, many of the anys are available today. With the right equipment, you can access the Internet from almost anywhere. Take, for example, how you get data when you leave the home office. There are plenty of ways to get high-speed Internet access to your notebook computer or PDA. You can rent Internet access at many hotels for about $10 a day. Or, you can sign up for a wireless service that's available in coffee shops or hotel lobbies. Both approaches work just fine, but you still have to go to a place where the service is set up. Now there's a service that makes you feel like you can get to the Internet from anywhere. And, interestingly, you may already have part of the solution clipped to your belt, or stuffed into your pocket or purse. It's your cell phone. I just tried the Express Network from Verizon Wireless. It operates as an Internet access point for over 900 cities from Hawaii to Maine. It's easy to set up, and takes only one cable and a few seconds to convert your cell phone into a data device. Express Network is one of a handful of new services that can totally change the way you work. You can be in a cab, a customer's office, or sitting surfside as you surf the Web. So far, I've used the Express Network in several cities, and even took it to its geographical limit -- in Hawaii -- where it connected to the Internet from a cliff near Waikiki. It worked. To use the service, you need to have a compatible cell phone and purchase a Mobile Connect Kit. This kit includes a phone-to-PC cable and software. Verizon Wireless offers a variety of cell phones that are compatible with the service, ranging from the diminutive Motorola T720 or Samsung A310 all the way up to a full Pocket PC 2002 Phone, the Audiovox Thera. Aside from using a cell phone to make the connection, you can also set up service with a Sierra Wireless AirCard 555 PC card. This solution works if you don't want to bother with connecting a data cable to your cell phone, or if you want a dedicated data line. Prices for the service range from $35 to $99 a month. The Express Network runs at a burst rate of 144 kilobits per second, which is faster than ISDN and the same speed as IDSL. I found that sometimes the connection slowed to 40 to 60 Kbps, depending on location and signal strength. One thing for sure, this service can go where no others do. Cheryl Currid is president of Currid & Co., a Houston technology research and analysis firm. For more information, visit www.currid.com/labs. E-mail comments to labs@currid.com.