Which wireless is which?

David's irreverent guide to wireless technology

David Gewirtz, our Editor-in-Chief, has his own unique way of explaining the different wireless standards. If you really want to know which wireless is which when you phone home, read this fun little sidebar.

Bluetooth

Stick your arms out. Imagine a circle going all around you, sort of like the boy in the bubble of that incredibly sick Bubble Boy movie. That bubble is the range of Bluetooth. Unless, of course, you're Shaq. If you're Shaquille O'Neil, just use 802.11b.

802.11b

802.11b is also called WiFi, because every serious standard needs a silly alternate name. Remember E.T.? If you want to use 802.11b, you're not going to phone home, you're going to be home (or at the office). Remember how they wrapped the E.T. kid's house (or your neighborhood post office) in a big ol' sheet? That's about the range of 802.11b. Everything inside the house is pretty much in range, except for your most comfy chair (802.11b is a bit fussy and somehow, no matter where you want it most, that's the one spot it won't work). If you've got a large office, center the Wireless Access Point near the middle of your building and test range.

Palm VII wireless

This is wide range wireless, limited to the United States. If you're in some place where you're not sure about drinking the water, you probably don't have Palm VII coverage. Also, the Palm VII really likes cities. If you're in a city, you definitely have coverage. If you're out in some rural location, there's a chance you'll be asking, "Where's the beef?" Again, it pays to test out connectivity first to see if you've got coverage before making a big investment.

GSM wireless

Like the metric system, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) simply works better, but it isn't all that well accepted inside the colonial shores of the United States. GSM appears to be a technically better standard than CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), which is used heavily in the U.S. Hey, it's easier doing metric math, but you don't see me talking kilometers per hour on the New Jersey Turnpike. I also tend to drive on the right side of the road, as long as I've had my morning coffee.