Strong Capabilities, difficult Decisions

摘要

We had to cram a lot into this article-the devices and platforms we're evaluating could fill an entire issue. IT pros wading through piles of"marketecture" from carriers looking to provide wireless data access-for a price-can likely relate. In "Dial M for Maybe" (page 31), we discuss whether mobile users can really enjoy ubiquitous access to enterprise applications and data. Our take: More so than last year, but still less than we'd like. To find out what today's wireless data networks can-and cannot-do, we evaluated performance of a trio of PC Card modems from Cingular Wireless, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon Wireless on EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution), CDMA2000 1XRTT and EV-DO (Evolution-Data Only) networks. We also evaluated the latest crop of smart-phones-from Nokia (Nokia 9300 designed for GPRS/EDGE networks), Sprint (Treo 650 running 1XRTT), T-Mobile (RIM BlackBerry 7290 running GPRS) and Verizon (Samsung i730 running EV-DO, 1XRTT and Wi-Fi)-to determine their strengths and weaknesses in wireless data accessibility. In the case of T-Mobile, Research In Motion supplied the device directly with a T-Mobile account. We could not get our hands on a Windows Mobile 5 device, but we examine upcoming enhancements in "Preview: Windows Mobile 5," page 51.