tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post7889476553486140019..comments2024-03-13T09:40:11.948+00:00Comments on Dean Bubley's Disruptive Wireless: So what has been the 'device of the year' in 2007?Dean Bubleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-66988688902005658772007-12-10T14:36:00.000+00:002007-12-10T14:36:00.000+00:00Hi GabeIn theory what you say is true - the 'embed...Hi Gabe<BR/><BR/>In theory what you say is true - the 'embedded' laptop appears to be the most 'elegant' solution. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, the reality is not as simple. I'll do another more detailed post another time as this is an area I've done some quite a lot of work (including a white paper for the GSMA).<BR/><BR/>Issues include:<BR/>- while the module is standardised, the antenna may be separate (eg around the screen), meaning the whole thing has to pass RF compliancy tests.<BR/>- comparatively difficult to upgrade to the latest version HSPA / HSPA+ etc which is likely to be needed during the life of the laptop<BR/>- although the hardware is standard, operators may have preferred suppliers, which means integrating somewhere in the PC supply chain to get built-to-order<BR/>- PC and mobile operator channels are different, and neither understand the others products particularly well. <BR/>- Embedded 3G adds a lot of cost - especially for corporations for whom only a fraction of employees justify the service costs (esp roaming)<BR/>- lots of issues with customised connection manager software & enterprise device management<BR/>- operators don't generally support all brands/makes of PC - and most customers choose the PC first & will not want to be restricted to certain models supported by a given operator<BR/>- complexity of UMTS and CDMA (and soon WiMAX) embedded laptops. Ideally you'd have a quad-tech PC (ie all 3 + WiFi too) but that makes all the other problems even worse.<BR/><BR/>In a nutshell - separate modems are a bit less elegant, but are much easier from a practical standpoint for most users.Dean Bubleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-62540794442781872222007-12-10T12:42:00.000+00:002007-12-10T12:42:00.000+00:00Hey Dean... I really want my next laptop to have i...Hey Dean... I really want my next laptop to have integrated 3G... The modules are standardized and you can always change out the SIM.<BR/><BR/>USB dongles are good but can be a hassle... get lost, forget them, etc.<BR/><BR/>The problem is my employer is very unlikely to make integrated 3G part of the standard laptop build in the next two years. Half the IT dept. aren't even aware of the concept. I'd bet lots of organizations are like this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com