Two notebooks approved for Wireless USB
Dell Inspiron 1720
(Credit: Dell)It's taken long enough, but they're here: the first computers that can make USB connections sans cables.
Dell's Inspiron 1720 notebook and Lenovo's ThinkPad T61 and T61p models are the first PCs to receive certification for the standard, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is expected to announce Monday. Texas-based WiQuest Communications makes the Wireless USB chipset in both notebooks.
The Thinkpad can be ordered now for $1,814. The Inspiron notebook will not ship until late summer or early fall and pricing is not yet available, according to Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden. She said Dell does expect more of its notebook models to be Wireless USB-capable in the future.
Lenovo ThinkPad T61p
(Credit: Lenovo)Wireless USB will enable peripherals like printers, cameras, mice and hard drives to connect to a PC without a USB cable from distances of up to 16 to 25 feet. As Wireless USB is just beginning to be rolled out for consumers, Wireless USB hubs will be required to connect PCs and peripherals at first. Last week, Belkin announced the first such products. Expect more adapters and hubs to be announced in the coming weeks.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica.
same printer wirelessly? My guess is no, since the USB standard
enables multiple devices to be connected to one computer, but not
multiple computers to be connected to one device.
Printer sharing makes sense, since most people only print a
fraction of the time that they're on the computer. But sadly, to this
point, it's been necessary to get an (expensive) wi-fi enabled
network printer to do sharing properly.
better than Bluetooth, who cares? Bluetooth works fine for me,
and I don't see why we need another short-range wireless
technology out there to connect peripherals to our computers.
USB is like the Dell of data transfer technologies. It's cheap,
prolific, and unreliable. Give me Firewire, or give me an extended
coffee break while I transfer these files onto my external USB
HD...
Out of curiosity, is there a reason PC manufacturers are so
unwilling to build Bluetooth into their machines? It seems like a
technology that should definitely come standard on portables,
and would be greatly appreciated on desktops. Maybe if
manufacturers would support a standard and stick with it, we
could stop having to buy wireless mice that come with dongles
and other random doo-dads.