* WiMAX ecosystem grows though Sprint waffles
The prognosis for widespread U.S. WiMAX services improved slightly last week, when Sprint Nextel said its Xohm WiMAX network is proceeding on schedule and that other companies have joined the WiMAX ecosystem. Meanwhile, with both wireless LAN and wireless WAN technologies in transition, how do you determine which radio connections to put in your laptops?
ThinkEquity analyst Robert Ferguson wrote in a brief last week that he expects Sprint to renew its relationship with former WiMAX network partner Clearwire this quarter. Ferguson wrote that the mobile operator’s announcement of a number of WiMAX-centric partnerships at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show reaffirms its commitment to Xohm.
Asus, for example, is in the process of embedding WiMAX into its entire laptop line for 2008. Similarly, OQO said it intends to embed WiMAX in an ultra mobile PC in 2008.
Clearly, the outlook for WiMAX has been somewhat resuscitated. Still, which wireless connections make the most sense for laptops in the near term?
On the Wi-Fi side, the good news is that even clients you may purchase this year that support 802.11n will also support the earlier 802.11a/g networks. So there isn’t too much of a risk there.
WAN decisions depend in part on whether you lean toward better-performing embedded radios or more flexible external PC Cards. Also, how often do you turn over your laptops?
If you upgrade frequently, you could go with embedded 802.11g and name-your-flavor 3G radio connections (EV-DO Rev A or HSPA, for example) and probably be on to the next generation of devices before WiMAX is even a realistic commercial alternative.
If you seek to hold onto your laptop investments for longer periods but need to replenish your laptop supply soon, consider the external devices. Though these devices are easily damaged or lost and often don’t offer as strong of a connection as an embedded alternative, they can also be inexpensively replaced while retaining the laptop investment.
