SanDisks SD 256MB + Wi-Fi card, which is slated to ship this month, may be the coolest Pocket PC add-on Ive seen yet.
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As the name implies, this card combines a 256MB storage card and an 802.11b wireless adapter into a single Secure Digital card, helping solve the problem of expansion-slot scarcity on handheld devices.
At a price of $130, the SanDisk unit makes an affordable add-on, and the included Wi-Fi connection software is well-laid-out and easy to use.
The only real gripe I have with this device is its limited platform support—it supports only devices running Microsofts Pocket PC 2002 or 2003 or Windows Mobile 2003.
Id love to see SanDisk and PalmSource get together to extend support to Palm OS-based devices. Although there are quite a few Pocket PC-based handhelds that ship with built-in Wi-Fi, the Tungsten C is the only Palm OS device I know of that comes Wi-Fi-enabled.
/zimages/6/28571.gifSeveral Clié handhelds featured integrated Wi-Fi, but Sony has stopped production of the devices in the United States.Click hereto read the story.
The card extends about an inch from the SD slot—an arrangement that is clumsier than a built-in radio but that is certainly better than no connectivity.
For more information, cruise to www.sandisk.com.
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