The New (Improved?) Wireless Web

Round two for the mobile Internet: Our roving reporter's verdict on six ways to get your data on the run.

By many accounts, we're on the verge of a data revolution, and soon we'll access the Net from almost anywhere. In what was previously the exclusive domain of pay-by-the-minute mobile phone plans, new wireless-data competitors are challenging the dominance of the cell networks for fast, inexpensive, on-the-go service.

New third-generation wireless phone networks (called 3G services) promise to bring brisk Web access through mobile phones, for the first time. Though the prior wave of data-enabled (so-called 2G) phones were sluggish and costly, the world has changed. And mobile phones have a new rival, a networking standard designed for stationary wireless Internet access: 802.11b, known as Wi-Fi, delivers much faster Web access and downloads than 3G services do (as long as you stay in one place), though it suffers from low range. The best part is, Wi-Fi service can be free, in some places.

My goal was simple: I wanted to know how easy it is to get to the real Internet, anywhere. I want to be able to send a text message the minute I think of something important, to find directions as I walk down the street, and even to make or confirm travel reservations while I'm in a cab on the way to the airport. (My test results are summarized on the next page.)

My testing took me outdoors into the streets of Philadelphia, wandering through neighborhoods while squinting at tiny LCD screens. I browsed Web sites like MSNBC.com and PCWorld.com; I got directions from MapQuest, and took Orbitz for a spin booking travel reservations. I sent e-mail and instant messages from coffee shops. I also tried my hand at shopping, from Amazon.com and EBay.

I tested a representative sample of the devices and wireless networks you can use today. Handspring's Treo 300 (which uses the Sprint network) and Kyocera's 7135 (which uses Verizon's service) are Palm OS--based 3G wireless PDA/phones. Samsung's A500 phone permits limited Web browsing on the device itself and can function as a USB modem for any laptop. Toshiba's E740 Pocket PC PDA offers built-in 802.11b wireless networking. T-Mobile's Sidekick is a kind of mutant PDA that brings a phone and 3G Internet service along for the ride. I also tested a laptop that could connect using both 802.11b and the Samsung phone.

Of all the handhelds I tested, I really enjoyed using the Sidekick. Combining compact size, high-speed Web browsing, and intuitive ease of use with a reasonably good pricing plan for 3G wireless data, the Sidekick offers the best all-around package for mobile communications. Check with T-Mobile before you buy a Sidekick to make sure there's coverage in your area.

Wireless Devices: Tools to Surf From Anywhere (chart)

Product                  	Device type and network	Price 1 (11/1/02)	Weight    	Size                     (L by W by D, inches)	Speed    	Messaging	Directions	E-commerce	Airline reservation	Phone quality
Handspring Treo 300 (http://www.handspring.com)	3G Palm OS phone (Sprint)	$500	5.2 ounces	4.3 by 2.7 by 0.7	Fair	Good	Fair	Poor	Poor	Fair
Kyocera 7135 (http://www.kyocera.com)	3G Palm OS phone (Verizon)	$600	6.6 ounces	4 by 2.4 by 1.2	Fair	Good	Fair	Poor	Poor	Fair
Samsung A500 (http://www.samsung.com)	3G phone (Sprint)	$300	3.6 ounces	3.5 by 2 by 0.8	Fair	Fair	Unable to perform	Unable to perform	Unable to perform	Good
T-Mobile Sidekick (http://www.t-mobile.com)	3G hybrid phone (T-Mobile)        	$250	6.0 ounces	4.6 by 2.6 by 1.1	Very good	Very good	Excellent	Good	Acceptable	Fair
Toshiba E740 (http://www.toshiba.com)	Pocket PC with Wi-Fi	$600	6.1 ounces	4.9 by 3.1 by 0.6	Very good	Very good	Fair	Fair	Good	n/a
Toshiba Portege 2000 (http://www.toshiba.com)	Notebook with Wi-Fi	$1918	2.6 pounds	11.4 by 9 by 0.6	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent        	Excellent	n/a
Toshiba Portege 2000 (http://www.toshiba.com)	Notebook with 3G phone	$1918	2.6 pounds	11.4 by 9 by 0.6	Fair	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	n/a

How We Test: We devised a suite of tests to run on each device. We also tested the devices' speed by timing how long they took to load the front pages of PCWorld.com, MSNBC.com, and Heavy.com. To test messaging features, we used each device to send and receive e-mail and instant messages over AOL Instant Messenger. To evaluate online shopping, we placed an order on Amazon.com or bid on an EBay auction item. We also tried to check or make flight reservations on Expedia.com and Orbitz.com, and to get directions using MapQuest.com. Finally, we tested the quality of calls on the phone devices. n/a = Not applicable; device has no phone capability. 1 List prices for hardware only; monthly service charges extra.

Find Your Network

Before you pick a device, you must make sure you can use it where you want to. Mobile phone devices offer the widest blanket of service, thanks to the ubiquity of cell phone coverage in cities and along highways. You might have difficulty in (or between) smaller towns, or in pockets of radio dead spots between hills or near steel-framed buildings.

By contrast, there's no guarantee that you'll find an 802.11b wireless network anywhere you happen to be. But places that cater to business travelers, such as hotels and airports, are starting to provide free Wi-Fi service as a courtesy. Many Starbucks locations offer a coffee-shop Wi-Fi network (costing from $3 for 15 minutes to $30 a month). Other retail chains will soon follow suit.

I also "borrowed" Wi-Fi service from complete strangers. Many Wi-Fi installations in homes and small businesses provide open access (sometimes unintentionally) to any nearby computer. (For more on this phenomenon, see the sidebar, "Surf Wi-Fi Free--For Now.")

3G Is Fast, but Wi-Fi Is Faster

Wi-Fi offers the fastest downloads. But for mobile users, speed isn't necessarily everything.

If you normally compute by staying in one place for a while, Wi-Fi's high speed makes it the preferred option. Using the Toshiba laptop's built-in 802.11b in a Wi-Fi-enabled café or bookstore is as close as you can get to broadband speeds without actually signing up for a cable or DSL modem.

But if you're always on the move, and you can't get tied to a particular location, the slower 3G networks might work better for you. That's because Wi-Fi can't smoothly "hand off" to the nearest access point if you wander beyond the radio range (an average of 300 feet) of the one you're using.

The 3G networks let you surf at approximately the same speed as you would on a 56-kbps analog modem--fast enough for short messaging, but (in most cases) still too slowly for browsing many Web sites. The one exception: the Sidekick (on its 3G network) surfed faster than other phone-network devices because phone providers who sell its service also optimize its Web content downloads.

Samsung's A500 phone failed to load any of the test sites because its browser can view only Web pages specially made for the phone. To its credit, the A500 loaded a number of the sites designed for it in less than 30 seconds each. Unfortunately, far too few of these special links exist. The A500 also performed decently (though at sub-broadband speeds) as a laptop modem, loading MSNBC.com and PCWorld.com in less than a minute each.

Messaging on the Go

Using a phone keypad for text messaging can be generously described as laborious. If you send a lot of messages, look for devices with a keyboard, such as the Sidekick or Handspring Treo. The software keyboards in Palm and Pocket PC devices are less preferable, but will work in a pinch.

Writing e-mail and instant messages on the Sidekick is quick and easy, thanks to the device's smart design, which lets you hold it as you would a video game controller and then type using your thumbs. An e-mail app (which can check any standard POP3 e-mail in-box) and AOL Instant Messenger come preinstalled on the device. Several customizable stock responses in the device let you send "Got your message" or "Can't type now; the bus is bouncing too much" with just a few quick turns of the thumbwheel.

Instant-messaging addicts, take note: The AOL Instant Messenger application, which is a free download for the PC and comes included with the Sidekick, will cost you about $20 to download in either the Palm OS or Pocket PC version.

Find Your Way

Sometimes, road warriors just need a map. I threw MapQuest at all the devices to see where it stuck best. The mapping Web site provides a PDA-specific section built for the smaller screens and memory requirements of palmtops.

The Sidekick stood out from the rest of the pack on the mapping test thanks to its screen, which rotates to cover the keyboard and prevents accidental key presses. Being able to stick the Sidekick in your pocket and take it out to glance at its high-resolution display en route makes it nearly as good as a pad of paper for following directions.

The other devices were able to quickly gather text directions to the destination--but forget about reading map images. Even at the highest zoom levels, the street names in the MapQuest map graphics more closely resembled ancient Sumerian cuneiform than readable letters or words in plain American English.

If you get lost and your only device is the Samsung A500 phone, your best bet is to use it to call for a taxi. The phone can't download maps or directions.

The Chore of Mobile Shopping

Part of the promise of the wireless Web is mobile commerce, but only a few of the devices I evaluated were up to the task. To test them, I tried to buy a book and to make airline reservations.

Despite the A500's other flaws, Samsung made linking to Amazon.com amazingly easy with the phone, thanks to a specially formatted version of the Amazon site. The Sidekick also lets you quickly log in to any site, browse, and buy something.

At the other end of the spectrum, both the Handspring Treo 300 and the Kyocera 7135 utterly failed at shopping or travel reservations. The Treo could not complete a transaction at all, and the Kyocera PDA/phone let me buy a novel only after I dished out large helpings of patience and perseverance, and mortgaged myself for a substantial coffee tab.

Phone Home

Got phone? I made a few phone calls with the Handspring Treo, the Kyocera, the Samsung, and the Sidekick, just to see how they'd sound. The small, light, and ergonomic Samsung A500 is the standout here; it's easy to dial numbers or to access the built-in address book one-handed.

The Palm-based designs suffer from a case of severe boxiness. Wider than most cell phones, both devices' touch screens rest against the side of your face when you use the phone.

The Sidekick--about the size of a Hostess pie--is the most oddly shaped of the phones. Though the Sidekick is intended to be used primarily with an included headset, you can simply hold it up to your ear if need be. T-Mobile's Sidekick plan offers the fewest phone minutes of any of the devices I tested, but there's no limit on data calls.

Not (Quite) Ready for Prime Time

The near-term future of this just-emerging new generation of wireless-enabled devices isn't rosy. I don't think the perfect wireless device--one that lets you surf, shop, communicate, and stay productive--exists yet. Every choice has some limitations, and users who want to go wireless need to be prepared to deal with them.

For all the improvements that have been made to phone networks and wide Wi-Fi deployment, neither network type offers a truly compelling combination of high speed, low cost, and wide availability. And with the exception of radically different devices like the Sidekick, the hardware still has its own long road to travel before it becomes truly useful for people who need Internet access on the go.

Sam Costello is a freelance writer in Bend, Oregon.

Surf Wi-Fi Free--For Now

In most major cities, numerous 802.11b wireless networks crisscross neighborhoods and office parks without their Wireless Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security features enabled. This state of affairs allows any Wi-Fi enabled device--including yours--to go online.

Windows XP makes it easy to sneak onto a network with its built-in wireless network detector, and other operating systems can run NetStumbler to find networks. The programs all work by tuning your wireless card to a mode that allows it to listen to and collect the names of every other wireless card and access point within range. You can then turn your card back on and use this information to connect to the Wi-Fi networks you found.

But there's a legal and moral gray area here. Gaining unauthorized access to computer networks is a crime in many states. That's exactly what you're doing when you borrow someone else's Wi-Fi network--even if the owner leaves it wide open.

"It is probably not ethical for someone to connect to a wireless network unless they know it has been left open for public access," says Dennis Eaton of the Wi-Fi Alliance. But not everyone agrees.

Free-bandwidth advocates have been busily war chalking--marking symbols on sidewalks or buildings to indicate the availability of Wi-Fi Internet access--and mapping those locations worldwide.

For now, borrowing someone else's Wi-Fi network to surf the Web isn't a crime, but take care not to expose your sensitive data. And if you own an access point, be aware that others may, at some time, try to use it if you don't lock it down with WEP.