By: Jørgen Sundgot, 17.10.01 10:04
The 802.11b standard with its 11 Mbps data transfer rate is just about to make its breakthrough for handhelds - and now, the first 802.11a PCMCIA card has showed up.
Wireless networks have been on everyone's lips for the last three months or so in the PDA community (and in particular in the Pocket PC community), as PDA compatible products based on the 802.11b standard finally has begun seeping out. However, while the 802.11b standard is just about to make its breakthrough on handheld platforms, Proxim has made available the very first 802.11a PCMCIA card.
Proxim's new Harmony 802.11a PCMCIA card is capable of pushing 100 Mbps over the airwaves
While products based on the 802.11b wireless networking standard are capable of transferring data at a more than decent speed of 11 Mbps, products based on the 802.11a standard knocks the socks off of 802.11b products with its 54 Mbps data transfer speeds. With speeds like this, users would rarely have to worry about any delays in accessing even large files such as movies and graphics files over a wireless network - which would leave storage space on their handhelds available for other storage purposes.
Proxim's current 802.11a offering is shipping right now and consists of the 802.11a FastWireless Networking Kit, allowing ad-hoc mobile networking at 100 Mbps in Proxim's 2X mode. The Harmony FastWireless Networking Kit includes two 802.11a CardBus Cards, accompanying software, and comes with instructions on creating high-speed ad-hoc networks since no access point is currently available. For those in need of an access point to create a more advanced setup, Proxim will ship the Harmony 802.11a Access Point in November of this year.
The big question, however, is how soon the company can make available drivers for handheld platforms such as the Palm OS and the Pocket PC platform - of which the latter one is most likely will show up drivers for since the @migo-600C already has an integrated PCMCIA Type II slot, and the iPAQ H3600, H3700 and H3800 series are all compatible with PCMCIA add-on sleeves from Compaq.
The Harmony 802.11a FastWireless Networking Kit is available now for $449 USD, while the individual Harmony 802.11a CardBus Card is available now for $249 USD
The 802.11b standard with its 11 Mbps data transfer rate is just about to make its breakthrough for handhelds - and now, the first 802.11a PCMCIA card has showed up.
Wireless networks have been on everyone's lips for the last three months or so in the PDA community (and in particular in the Pocket PC community), as PDA compatible products based on the 802.11b standard finally has begun seeping out. However, while the 802.11b standard is just about to make its breakthrough on handheld platforms, Proxim has made available the very first 802.11a PCMCIA card.
Proxim's new Harmony 802.11a PCMCIA card is capable of pushing 100 Mbps over the airwaves
While products based on the 802.11b wireless networking standard are capable of transferring data at a more than decent speed of 11 Mbps, products based on the 802.11a standard knocks the socks off of 802.11b products with its 54 Mbps data transfer speeds. With speeds like this, users would rarely have to worry about any delays in accessing even large files such as movies and graphics files over a wireless network - which would leave storage space on their handhelds available for other storage purposes.
Proxim's current 802.11a offering is shipping right now and consists of the 802.11a FastWireless Networking Kit, allowing ad-hoc mobile networking at 100 Mbps in Proxim's 2X mode. The Harmony FastWireless Networking Kit includes two 802.11a CardBus Cards, accompanying software, and comes with instructions on creating high-speed ad-hoc networks since no access point is currently available. For those in need of an access point to create a more advanced setup, Proxim will ship the Harmony 802.11a Access Point in November of this year.
The big question, however, is how soon the company can make available drivers for handheld platforms such as the Palm OS and the Pocket PC platform - of which the latter one is most likely will show up drivers for since the @migo-600C already has an integrated PCMCIA Type II slot, and the iPAQ H3600, H3700 and H3800 series are all compatible with PCMCIA add-on sleeves from Compaq.
The Harmony 802.11a FastWireless Networking Kit is available now for $449 USD, while the individual Harmony 802.11a CardBus Card is available now for $249 USD
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