Wireless Isp’s?

Who knows - it might not be long before we don’t have to rely on a physical
connection at all to connect to the ‘net.

An article on Newsforge caught my attention today. It’s all about the rise

of wireless ISPs across the country and the future of commercial wireless in
general. I’ve toyed with the idea of 802.11b at home for awhile, watching as the

prices for hardware continue to come down. A wireless home network would connect

my PDA to my file server and to the Internet, and give me yet another
justification to buy a laptop! I spend so much time in my laundry room office
that, sometimes when I step out into the hall, my dog growls at me like a
stranger. It’d sure be nice to have access to all those tools at, say, the
dining room table or in the living room.

The article, though, isn’t about setting up a wireless home network. It’s about
commercial ISPs providing wireless access to areas that might have only limited
wired access to the Internet. One company is marketing its product by waiting
for DSL providers to drop by the wayside, then offering customers a replacement
service in the form of wireless. The article likens the increase in numbers of
these wireless ISP providers to that of dialup ISPs in the mid-90s - in other
words, it’s “coming to an area near you.”

A few other interesting things are coming your way. I managed to get my hands on

a cheap older Mac-type system this week with one goal in mind - Yellowdog Linux. The
machine is a 7200 knock-off - not exactly state of the art - but it was a steal
I couldn’t turn my back on. When I can actually see light at the end of the
project tunnel, I’ll install Yellowdog and, in the spirit of the distro reviews
that launched Penguin Shell, will report back to the Mac-interested Linux
faithful on what I find.

I may also have a PDA review in the works. I’ve contacted Sharp USA regarding a review

of their Linux-based Zaurus handheld. Uber-organizer Lori Lockwood
has been working with Sharp, as well. We’re hoping they’ll be in attendance at
Gnomedex with these PDAs
for demo. I mean - surely we can offset the PocketPC crowd with a killer Linux
solution, right? With the recent merger of Compaq and HP, it looks like the iPaq

and Jornada lines are going to be combined in some way. That could spell
the end of the iPaq as a platform to which Linux can be easily ported. The
Zaurus could be left as the best and most viable mobile solution for we who love

the Penguin. I’ll keep you posted on the discussion with Sharp.

In the meantime, have a great Wednesday.

See you in August