SanDisk SD Wi-Fi Card: A Poor Performer?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/reviews/CD/article.php/2245971' target='_blank'>http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/reviews/...cle.php/2245971</a><br /><br /></div>"Several manufacturers already offer CompactFlash-based 802.11b cards that can Wi-Fi-enable some PDAs and smart phones, but SanDisk is the first out with an SD (Secure Digital) Wi-Fi card. The SanDisk Connect Wi-Fi product was due in stores August 1. The unit lists for $129. Eventually, many more PDAs and smart phones will come with slots for the postage-stamp-size SD format cards. For now, though, SanDisk is only supporting Pocket PC devices, and because the card only works in slots enabled for SDIO (SD Input/Output), an extension of the standard, there are only 14 devices that can use the SanDisk card."<br /><br />The article goes on to talk about the testing of the Sandisk SD WiFi card, and the fact that the performance was inferior to CF and PCMCIA solutions. I wonder, is this what we should expect from making everything smaller to fit in the SD form factor? Are you willing to put up with a loss of performance for the marvel that is WiFi in an SD form factor? I think I am, but then again, I don't have one of these yet. :wink:

[ux4484]

Having an Axim, I'm not really looking for something that sticks out past the side of my PDA. I can at least get my Axim in my Columbia case with the CF wifi card installed if I want (an impossibility with an SD wifi). I might feel differently if my SD slot was top mounted.

[SandersP]

The article lists Dell X3 but not Dell X5? mmm...

[GoldKey]

Having an Axim, I'm not really looking for something that sticks out past the side of my PDA. I can at least get my Axim in my Columbia case with the CF wifi card installed if I want (an impossibility with an SD wifi). I might feel differently if my SD slot was top mounted.

On the current X5, there is no SDIO, so really the only thing the SD is useful for is memory, so being side mounted is no big deal. If newer models have SDIO, hopefully, they rething the placement to a top mount.

[pgb]

Does anyone know if/when/where this item is for sale? Thanks.

[T-Will]

I can't wait for the day when every PDA comes with WiFi built-in. I really would've liked to have WiFi built into my 2200.

[SandersP]

It's mio 558.


(ok I just remember X5 has no SDIO)

[ux4484]

On the current X5, there is no SDIO, so really the only thing the SD is useful for is memory, so being side mounted is no big deal. If newer models have SDIO, hopefully, they rething the placement to a top mount.

As was pseudo-reported before, the X5 may actually be SDIO capable (with a properly pinned out card). That non-withstanding, my point was really about the side SD slot, not if it worked on my PDA or not.

those darned borg.......just to literal :roll:

[tj21]

This test would have been a lot more useful if they would have compared the SD card to other cards in the iPaq. I'd guess most of the difference they're seeing is attributable to comparing a PDA's throughput and power to full-size PC-cards and CPU's. My notebook with an orinoco has always been faster with better range than any of my PDA's. Not really much of a test. I'd hardly expect the iPaq to match the throughput of a full-sized pc even if they were running identical cards, let alone SD versus PC-card and PCI.

[David C]

I can't wait for the day when every PDA comes with WiFi built-in. I really would've liked to have WiFi built into my 2200.

I agree.

Personally, I'm displeased with how many of the current PDA manufactures are marketing the PDA as "Wifi upgradable" but to find out that the only way to "upgrade" to wifi is by using a sub-quality SD wifi card. If the manufactures truly understand how important wifi is, which I'm sure they do, why can't there be a true upgrade solution where built-in wifi is a choice among the models or upgrades?

[doogald]

The only issue with "built-in" is that you are limited to the built-in technology - and further limited if it stops working. With an external device I can use WiFi when I desire, and replace with upgraded technology when released, or with a working unit if the original breaks.

However, I do not use WiFi all that much, so the occasional use of a CF card works fine for me.

[sweetpete]

Thanks Jason.
I was looking forward to a review of the WiFi SD card having recently recevied my Viewsonic V37 compliments of Microsoft; unfortunately, this review was rather disaapointing. :|

The test methodology was very lacking and not scientific at all. The writer uses a web-based speed test using a cable modem not even capable of the max speed of the wi-fi cards on computers with different speed processors. The speeds are meaningless, even in the comparative fashion that they were presented. Processor speed affects throughput and comparing a 3950 iPaq wtih a laptop and 2 computers with full fledged processors is a very uneven matchup ... not to mention the driver and OS/stack differences (CE 3.0 vs Win XP/2k 8O )

The author would have been better off testing several file transfers grabbed off of his wired Dell PC to see what the maximum sustained speed of the card would be. Preferable he would be testing with a PPC with CF and SDIO and compare a CF 802.11, SanDisk card and a wired CF ethernet card on the same platform. Anyway, it seems he was probably rushed to use the test card provided and I'll have to wait for the card to be available and test for myself. :twisted:

Quite honestly, I'm not sure I have much of a choice and I really don't care at this point if it is slower than other WLAN cards since the V37 only offers SDIO and no other means of connectivity :devilboy: I have a Toshiba Bluetooth SD card that I got secondhand but because the PPC drivers are nowhere to be found it is sitting in a drawer. :soapbox: I have to say that Toshiba is the worse company when it comes to supporting their products. Forget the PPC upgrade debacle ... they can't even support legitimate requests! &lt;/rant>

[Varrus]

Haha... well anyone who has seen one of my posts here knows that I completely agree... Toshiba is crap for supporting their products. Honestly, I believe that they are intentionally not offer any form of support for drivers for SanDisk's WiFi card, because in management's mind at Toshiba to do so would be to encourage people to buy their "cheaper" "low-end" models.

I have less than zero respect for Toshiba, and the day that I find it within my means to upgrade to a non-Toshiba Pocket PC will be a very happy day.

[DimensionZero]

Hmmm, I think I'll just get a CF wifi card... I'd just be too worried about the antenna snapping off the card from an accident or maybe even just normal day-to-day use...

I agree that built-in wifi would be great to have but like doogald said, we would be limited to the technology and if it stopped working...

It *would* be nice though, if manufacturers allowed for little modules to be placed inside the units with the antennas wired in.