Another area that has opened is in the multimedia area. This technology is easily adapted to the handheld devices. E-books, music, photographs, and some video are being ported into the PDAs. General Internet browsing is available with wireless connections and will undoubtedly be stronger in the very near future.

Wireless communication covers a really broad spectrum of capabilities that are intertwined. Wireless communication includes the emerging wireless network capabilities that allow computers to be connected in a LAN (Local Area Network) without cabling. Wireless communication can also be the two-way pager and smart cellular voice phone. Two-way pagers and Web access voice cellular phones fall into the smart wireless communication capability category also because data can be transmitted to and from the device. For the purposes of this column, we are defining wireless communication as those hand-held devices capable of receiving and processing complex data streams. Wireless communication also includes our subject at hand in taking a PDA on the road and being able to send and receive data such as Internet Web URL data, and e-mail. And, still another technology being merged into all this is the cellular phone with Web access.  We are concentrating on the wireless communication capabilities of the PDAs in this column.

This is not a trivial market, as over 11.4 million communications capability hand-held devices sold last year, 70 percent of which were PDAs. That number is expected to increase to 61 million by 2004 according to recent market research studies.

These “real” computer capabilities are generally available in the high end PDAs, both Palm and Windows CE (Pocket PC) based operating systems. Systems in this category have a cost range of between $400.00 to $900.00. The Palm OS based systems tend to be less costly. The Windows OS based systems seem to fall in the $499.00 to $900.00 range. The “real” capabilities include CPU processors fast enough to handle complex OS calls, enough memory to handle complex OS functions, and storage capacity to hold large amounts of data. These units tend to have add-on capabilities for data storage, modem, and other functions such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The high end PDAs have additional I/O ports of some type that provides a means to connect modem or wireless devices for communication.

Nearly all of them have a serial syncing port. This port can also be used to connect the wireless modem holding case and provides the means to send and receive. The Palm OS based devices usually connect through this syncing port. Some of the hand-held computers such as my HP 690 have PCMCIA ports that handle PC Card modems and network adapter cards. Most of the Windows CE OS based devices contain a Compact Flash FlashCard slot, which looks like a miniature PC Card. The FlashCard interface specification allows the slot to perform many functions according the type of card inserted. Some FlashCards are storage devices which adds memory capacity to the hand-held device. Others add communication capability as modems. My HP 548 uses the FlashCard port to connect the NexTell PocketSprider modem. My HP 690 hand-held computer contains both a PCMCIA and FlashCard slot. I use the FlashCard slot to add additional memory cards.

Palm OS based system manufacturers include Handspring, Palm, Sony, TRG Pro, and Symbol. Windows OS based manufacturers include Internec, Casio, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, Hitachi, Melard Technologies, Ironix, and Symbol.

Wireless communication
The technologies of wireless, hand-held, and the Internet are joining together to form one of the best advances in personal computer communication to happen in a long time. The real or imagined uses for real mobile communication is almost without bounds. Speaking into our watches for example, is one of those without bound capabilities we all want. Most of the standards for using this form of communication are in place, or, are being finalized at this time. The actual hardware components to meet those standards are taking a little longer to implement. The main reason for the hardware implementation delays probably lies in the small physical area to engineer the capability within. The hand-held devices are much smaller in physical size and require special interface I/O connections. The physical memory capacity of hand-held limits how the communication software is written and implemented. Hand-held device operating systems are not are robust as those found in other computers causing changes in the how the communication software is applied. The technology squeeze comes in the fact that we are asking our hand-held devices to do as much as we do on our current desktop PCs and laptops. This is a complex task to accomplish.

Three major limitations causing wireless PDA connection problems with other devices are network coverage, data throughput rate, and usage costs. Wireless coverage is limited by two factors, service areas and technology capability. Service areas are where the wireless coverage is deployed by the major service providers such as AT&T, MCIWorldCom, and SW Bell. Most metropolitan areas are covered by some form of data standard capability. The data standards that service providers can or will provide differ greatly in these areas. Most of the provider services are being deployed as digital signals in the CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data) frequency range. These service signals are very directional and limited in range. CDPD service provider infrastructure capitol structure investment is really heavy duty, ruling out the small companies. Coverage in most metropolitan areas contains one or more service providers using CDPD digital frequency capability. The coverage is not available in most rural areas. This is also a user limitation in that real competitive service is not usually available even most metropolitan areas. The usage cost is usually relatively high, keeping the capability out of individual users. The Japanese have advanced the technology to a point that user cost is relatively low and therefore available to everyone.

At least one hand-held modem manufacturer is offering analog signal coverage for one of the Windows CE PDAs. This capability utilizes the installed provider tower transmission/receive infrastructure that has been in place for many years. The analog cellular system covers most of the United States.

Data throughput rates are another technical limitation that is being addressed. I made the first public Internet presentation in San Antonio several years ago using a laptop computer, cellular analog modem, and Motorola flip-phone with a 9600 to 19,200 bit per second rate. That is still the data throughput rate being offered by current communication devices coupled to PDAs. A few modem manufacturers are attempting to connect broadband throughput capability to PDAs, but this area of technology is not ready for everyone.

Cost of service is the third factor that limits usage. Lack of competition keeps the cost out of the hands of the average user. AT&T and Bell South both offer CDPD connection services at fairly reasonable costs, but are not available in many metropolitan areas. Several connection providers are using their baseline service to offer connection services in addition to them, or, are companies formed by them to provide connection services in many areas. It is hard to determine who owns the copper wire. Analog cellular service is available in nearly all of the United States, making that Compaq iPAC CYNET modem a really good technical service. An example of cost of service is my local CDPD capability from Wireless Communication, which is $70.00 per month for the one year service agreement. This is really expensive the average user.

Uses for hand-held PDAs
The high-end hand-held devices, PDAs and hand-held computers, have the potential to do e-mail, Web browsing, advanced word processing and spreadsheets. This opens the potential for real business and individual use on the move. The “Internet everywhere” concept has great potential. E-mail at any time can really take over one’s life. The potential for business users on the go all the time is limitless. Constant e-mail, voice mail, data input/output to the home office, and Web search open the travel business person to the home office and other connections in a manner not known previously. This can also be a drawback in that the home office may direct every move by the field representative. The communication capable PDA will rapidly move to the front as a means of staying in touch with others.

Two-way pagers and Web access cellular voice phones are limited in the way they process and display data sent and received. Their display of the data is limited. The low end PDAs do not do much beyond address books and task reminders. This leaves the high-end “smart” PDAs as the best device to maintain that instant communication with the rest of the world.

Hand-held PDA modems
Wireless communication device manufacturers include Sierra AirCard 300 modems which are PC Card size for laptops. Sierra AirCards cost in the range of $325.00 to $425.00. A national service provider such as WISP is required to complete the system. Option International GSM Cellular PC Card modem is another PC Card modem currently available for laptops and is used in conjunction with a cellular phone. These modems are in the $90.00 to $100.00 range. The 3Com 56K Global GSM cellular PC Card modem is another laptop unit on the market. The 3Com unit is priced in the range of $70.00 to $90.00. The Ositech Five of Clubs 56K modem is a PC Card modem that connects a cellular phone to laptops. The Ositech card cost is in the range of $190.00. The NexTell Spider II CDPD PC Card wireless modem is used in PCMCIA slots for communication purposes. This modem like the Sierra card has an antenna built in and requires a national CDPD service provider. This card costs $254.00. The Merlin Richochet PC Card modem also contains a built in antenna for direct connections. A national provider is required.

The FlashCard slot modems on the market are manufactured by NexTell, Pretec, and Socket. The Compact Flash slot is built into the HP and Casio hand-held devices. The Compaq iPAQ hand-held device requires a add-on Expansion pack for either the PC Card or FlashCard. The NexTell Wireless Modem PacketPak modem contains its own power supply battery and has a 19.2 Kbps throughput. It has data encryption built in. It requires a national CDPD service provider.  Its cost is $275.00. The Socket FlashCard modem functions through the FlashCard slot to a cellular phone. Its cost is $119.00 to $139.00. The Pretec CompactFlash modem is a landline connection and costs $109.00.

Conclusion
This is a summary review of hand-held device communication capability. More will follow as the technology turns.