jimski
09-26-2003, 06:08 AM
As the highly advertised "free day of wireless across America" draws to a close (whop de do), I ask, "Where is all the wireless"?
(Sorry, but I feel a rant coming on.)
Let me try to explain.
Back in the Fall of 1998 I was very excited to retire my Palm III and pick up the wireless Palm VII. People marveled at my ability to check e-mail, flight status, weather, news and even order flowers online. Yes, it was slow, but it worked almost everywhere across America. I thought, "This is great. Can't wait to se what tomorrow will bring."
In November 1999, I jumped up to the PalmVIIx. More power under the hood, but not much different than it's predecessor. I thought, "Well, the really cool stuff must be right around the corner." Didn't much like the $44.95 per month unlimited service fee, but hey I was doing stuff that no one else was doing.
In June of 2000 I was browsing another PDA website and discovered that the Kyocera Smartphone had finally been released. Boy, a PDA and phone all in one (sound familiar) and no more double charges for phone and wireless PDA. I was on a business trip in Chicago, but I called my local Verizon retailler and reserved a Kyocera. By 10:00am the next morning it was mine. Out with the Palm VIIx. I now had sheer power in the palm of my hand. But wait, what about a keyboard to take meeting notes and boy that screen is really small.
By November of 2001 my Verizon Wireless contract had run out and I was developing a limp from all that excess weight on my right hip. I heard about this GSM rollout across America and how something called Bluetooth would tie your PDA to your phone. What a concept! So I dumped my Smartphone, picked up a an Ericsson phone with Bluetooth adapter (it was only later that I discovered that this phone was NOT Internet ready) and bought my first Sony PDA with hopes of soon getting my hands on a Bluetooth Memory Stick. I thought, "Well, it won't be long now. A PDA with real wireless access and only one bill".
Months passed an no Bluetooth Stick appeared. After my third Sony in eight months (I think their sales cycle is about 6-8 weeks) I finally gave up when I found the amazing iPAQ 3870 with BLUETOOTH built-in. It was then that I discovered that my Ericsson phone with Bluetooth adapter couldn't do a damn thing.
Finally in November 2002 (four years after I joined the wireless bandwagon) GSM finally came to New Jersey. I bought my T68i at an ATT store that couldn't even test the phone because GSM was not due to hit that part of the state for another month. Then came the more amazing iPAQ 5450 with Bluetooth AND WiFi built in. This was wireless nervana.
Well, now it's September 2003, almost five years after wireless made it's retail debut and where are we today.
1.) My ATT GSM phone works in many select cities across America, but not too many (I still have my Ericsson TDMA phone for those cities where it dosen't work. I have had a new phone number for my GSM phone almost a year, but don't give it out as I forward all my calls from the TDMA phone to the GSM phone).
2.) Bluetooth sort of works, but it is awfully slow (about the same speed as my Palm VII. Bluetooth accessories like PDA keyboards are still nothing more than fantasy (yes, I have visited that Asian site touting a bluetooth keyboard for a couple years now-still no keyboard).
3.) WiFi is great, at home and at the office that is. If I want to try and use WiFi outside of those locations, I need to subscribe to no less then three different services for no less than $60-$90 US per month for a chance to use my PDA a one of many (actually about 1/10 of 1% of all the potental WiFi portals across America. I would have better chances hitting the lottery.
So what is holding up this technology. Compare computers from 1998 to today or cell phone charges from five years ago to today. What is the problem? My firm will buy me almost anything I ask for and I spend my own money foolishly every day, but I refuse to pay a service $29.95 per month for the chance that I may be able to find a portal during my travels and actually use it for 20-30 minutes. And anything that takes me more than 3-5 seconds to connect to is absolutely useless. There is no going back now (I really do like my 5450) but in terms of wireless connectivity, my old Palm VIIx was pretty hard to beat. No pretty web pages, but real information in a few seconds.
OK, so first all these so called WiFi providers need to roll out WiFi everywhere, and network/share their recources, so that it becomes so imbedded that everyone will want it and new "hype" technologies will be rejected because people will not want to give up their comfortable connection. Either charge nothing (find another way to make money) or charge a flat fee (like $1 or $2) for a 24 hour connection, just like putting a quarter in a pay phone. But make it seamless to the user so I don't have to spend 10 minutes each time I need to connect.
Then, introduce some really slick Bluetooth accessories so people will have a reason to own the technology (it really is not that hard to bond two devices-a whole lot easier than getting Active Synce to work).
I am not getting any younger. How much longer do I have to wait?
(Sorry, but I feel a rant coming on.)
Let me try to explain.
Back in the Fall of 1998 I was very excited to retire my Palm III and pick up the wireless Palm VII. People marveled at my ability to check e-mail, flight status, weather, news and even order flowers online. Yes, it was slow, but it worked almost everywhere across America. I thought, "This is great. Can't wait to se what tomorrow will bring."
In November 1999, I jumped up to the PalmVIIx. More power under the hood, but not much different than it's predecessor. I thought, "Well, the really cool stuff must be right around the corner." Didn't much like the $44.95 per month unlimited service fee, but hey I was doing stuff that no one else was doing.
In June of 2000 I was browsing another PDA website and discovered that the Kyocera Smartphone had finally been released. Boy, a PDA and phone all in one (sound familiar) and no more double charges for phone and wireless PDA. I was on a business trip in Chicago, but I called my local Verizon retailler and reserved a Kyocera. By 10:00am the next morning it was mine. Out with the Palm VIIx. I now had sheer power in the palm of my hand. But wait, what about a keyboard to take meeting notes and boy that screen is really small.
By November of 2001 my Verizon Wireless contract had run out and I was developing a limp from all that excess weight on my right hip. I heard about this GSM rollout across America and how something called Bluetooth would tie your PDA to your phone. What a concept! So I dumped my Smartphone, picked up a an Ericsson phone with Bluetooth adapter (it was only later that I discovered that this phone was NOT Internet ready) and bought my first Sony PDA with hopes of soon getting my hands on a Bluetooth Memory Stick. I thought, "Well, it won't be long now. A PDA with real wireless access and only one bill".
Months passed an no Bluetooth Stick appeared. After my third Sony in eight months (I think their sales cycle is about 6-8 weeks) I finally gave up when I found the amazing iPAQ 3870 with BLUETOOTH built-in. It was then that I discovered that my Ericsson phone with Bluetooth adapter couldn't do a damn thing.
Finally in November 2002 (four years after I joined the wireless bandwagon) GSM finally came to New Jersey. I bought my T68i at an ATT store that couldn't even test the phone because GSM was not due to hit that part of the state for another month. Then came the more amazing iPAQ 5450 with Bluetooth AND WiFi built in. This was wireless nervana.
Well, now it's September 2003, almost five years after wireless made it's retail debut and where are we today.
1.) My ATT GSM phone works in many select cities across America, but not too many (I still have my Ericsson TDMA phone for those cities where it dosen't work. I have had a new phone number for my GSM phone almost a year, but don't give it out as I forward all my calls from the TDMA phone to the GSM phone).
2.) Bluetooth sort of works, but it is awfully slow (about the same speed as my Palm VII. Bluetooth accessories like PDA keyboards are still nothing more than fantasy (yes, I have visited that Asian site touting a bluetooth keyboard for a couple years now-still no keyboard).
3.) WiFi is great, at home and at the office that is. If I want to try and use WiFi outside of those locations, I need to subscribe to no less then three different services for no less than $60-$90 US per month for a chance to use my PDA a one of many (actually about 1/10 of 1% of all the potental WiFi portals across America. I would have better chances hitting the lottery.
So what is holding up this technology. Compare computers from 1998 to today or cell phone charges from five years ago to today. What is the problem? My firm will buy me almost anything I ask for and I spend my own money foolishly every day, but I refuse to pay a service $29.95 per month for the chance that I may be able to find a portal during my travels and actually use it for 20-30 minutes. And anything that takes me more than 3-5 seconds to connect to is absolutely useless. There is no going back now (I really do like my 5450) but in terms of wireless connectivity, my old Palm VIIx was pretty hard to beat. No pretty web pages, but real information in a few seconds.
OK, so first all these so called WiFi providers need to roll out WiFi everywhere, and network/share their recources, so that it becomes so imbedded that everyone will want it and new "hype" technologies will be rejected because people will not want to give up their comfortable connection. Either charge nothing (find another way to make money) or charge a flat fee (like $1 or $2) for a 24 hour connection, just like putting a quarter in a pay phone. But make it seamless to the user so I don't have to spend 10 minutes each time I need to connect.
Then, introduce some really slick Bluetooth accessories so people will have a reason to own the technology (it really is not that hard to bond two devices-a whole lot easier than getting Active Synce to work).
I am not getting any younger. How much longer do I have to wait?