Network & Wireless Connectivity Options

Much of the activity in the handheld market today centers around network connectivity, whether its the integration of PDAs and cellphones (Handspring Treos, Palm Tungsten W, or Kyocera or Samsung smartphones), the use of wireless network protocols like WiFi (the Palm Tungsten C), old-style "web clipping" wireless internet access (the Palm VII and i705), always-on text paging (the RIM Blackberry), or even traditional dial-up modems or Ethernet network access using add-on cards. This is a very interesting and even revolutionary area, but until recently, our opinion was that it was still too complex and expensive for general use, and appealed mainly to techies and early adopters.

Now, in 2005, we believe we have turned the corner.

There are two competing "flavours" of wireless connectivity networks available in Maritime Canada, known as 1X (Aliant and Telus) and GPRS (Rogers). Both provide Internet connection speeds that match or exceed that of a 56K wired modem, and have a variety of end-user devices, from regular PCS phones to combination PalmOS handhelds and phones (so-called "smartphones"), to access the network with.

Aliant

Rogers

Telus Mobility

It is extremely difficult to find unbiased information about the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two technologies, so in our opinion the differentiating factors have to be:

• network coverage
• range of data-capable devices and options
• customer service
• price

Based on a detailed assessment of these factors, the Faculty of Medicine is working todevelop a version of DalMedix that will operate well over a wide variety of wireless devices, and also to help provide medical students, residents, and faculty with less expensive, more advanced, and far more functional wireless options than they would otherwise have access to.

In fact, we are in discussions with the major telcos to put together voice + data packages geared towards the needs of medical students. We have tested the Aliant 1X data network, using a variety of devices, and have found it very fast and reliable; we have also tested Rogers Wireless, which runs a GSM/GPRS network, and have found it to be a very functional service.

It is often argued that 1X is the faster technology, but GPRS tends to have better international roaming coverage (especially in Europe and Asia) than 1X does, though this is changing somewhat lately. A wide variety of phones, PC Cards for laptops, and data devices like the Treo 600/650 are available for use on both networks.

Both Aliant and Rogers also offer PocketPC devices with wireless data capabilities, though we have not tested these units, given our focus on the Palm operating system. The only other really easy-to-use wireless handheld available in this region is the RIM Blackberry, available from a number of providers. The only drawback is that the Blackberry runs proprietary software, not the PalmOS, so you would need to carry two organizers in order to be able to take advantage of both. That said, models are available with screens about the same size as PalmOS units, and they are very capable device, especially when it comes to paging and email. You can use them to do some limited web browsing, and voice-capable models are also available.

Some Palms are now coming out with local-area wireless networking built in, such as the Tungsten C with built-in WiFi, or the Tungsten T3 / T5 / E2with Bluetooth. Many PocketPC devices come standard with this feature as well. This means that they can connect either to any existing WiFi network (whether it's on campus, at home, or in a coffee shop), or can connect via Bluetooth to a data-capable cellphone like the Sony Ericsson T68i. Add-on Bluetooth and WiFi Ethernet network cards for PalmOS handhelds are also available, in formats such as Secure Digital (SD/IO), CompactFlash, and MemoryStick (see www.expansys.com for an exhaustive list of options).

If you plan to use a WiFi enabled PDA on Dalhousie campus, you need VPN software from www.anthavpn.com, a successor to the popular MovianVPN client from Certicom. This software is not compatible with all PDA operating systems, so read the fine print!

The lowest-cost option for getting Internet connectivity on your PalmOS handheld is to get a regular phoneline modem (get the one appropriate to the make/model you're using), and then use it to access your existing dial-up Internet account (such as Sympatico). With a program like MultiMail or OneTouch Mail, you will be able to send and receive email from any POP3 email account, and with AvantGo, Palm Web Browser, or Blazer, you will be able to visit websites (though they won't look very good unless they've been specially designed for the small screen).