'PocketSurfer' Delivers Wireless Web Faster

Dec. 21, 2004 — -- Smart cell phones, handheld data organizers, laptop computers and publicly accessible Internet terminals are just a few of the ways wandering Web addicts and road warriors can stay connected to the online world. But many mobile Net hookups often come with unpleasant compromises.

Laptops and portable computers with wireless 802.11, or Wi-Fi, links can produce Web surfing experiences similar to those on non-movable desktop PCs with high-speed wired connections. But Wi-Fi access points, or "hot spots," aren't yet ubiquitous in the United States and their reach is limited to a few hundred feet.

So-called smart phones and other handhelds attempt to offer wireless Net access by using the cell phone networks that have national coverage. But such networks, designed primarily for voice traffic, can't deliver Web data as quickly as most wired Net connections. And not every Web site can be accessed or displayed properly on the typically smallish screens of such portable devices.

That's why DataWind Corp., a portable device maker in Montreal, thinks the better solution for wireless Net addicts requires a hybrid approach.

A Wireless Web Appliance

DataWind's PockerSurfer handheld is a small computer roughly the size of a small pencil or eyeglass case. The 6-ounce device opens to reveal a QWERTY keyboard and a color screen with a 640-pixel resolution. That kind of display allows most Web sites to appear legibly across the full width of the screen as if displayed on normal computers.

Unlike other handheld computers, however, PocketSurfer doesn't connect to the Internet directly on its own. Instead, the device is designed to link up with almost any cell phone via Bluetooth, a short-range wireless communication standard.

Using this cable-free connection, PocketSurfer can then dial out to DataWind's Internet service using the cellular phone's wireless network. And that, says DataWind's co-founder Suneet Tuli, is where the real wireless magic really begins.

Like other Internet service providers, the DataWind service can access almost any Web site and deliver it for display on the PocketSurfer device. But to avoid long download times typical of other wireless Net devices that use cellular networks, DataWind uses proprietary software that compresses the Net data by a factor of 10 to 30 times.

In one demonstration, Tuli showed how PocketSurfer took only seven seconds to download the main Web page of a popular news site. The page appeared on PocketSurfer in exactly the same format and layout as if viewed on a conventional laptop or computer.

Other wireless data devices couldn't reproduce the page at all because of the large number of graphics and images involved. Other handhelds took several minutes to produce pages with a skewed layout or reduced functionality because the devices couldn't handle certain technical aspects of the Web page.

"The wireless Web is hard to do on the [cell] phone because the phone is a voice-centric appliance," said Tuli. "Handheld organizers are great for data applications, but they're not [developed] with accessing the Net in mind."

But by concentrating PocketSurfer's development primarily as a device for viewing the Web, the device avoids the compromises found in other handhelds, Tuli says. What's more, since the device isn't tied specifically to any particular wireless network or standard other than Bluetooth, users could still surf the Net even if they switch cell phones and wireless service providers.

"We work with any Bluetooth phone on any cellular network," says Tuli. "We also have [Bluetooth] adapters available that cover 80 percent of the cell phones currently in the market."

More Innovatation in the Wings?

Still, the $199 DataWind device isn't without its weaknesses. Unlike other handheld devices, PocketSurfer doesn't have any other built-in functions such as organizing dates and phone numbers. The device also lacks permanent memory to store pictures or other information gathered online. Its only function is to access the Net -- and only through DataWind's $10 per month service.

And Gerry Purdy, principal analyst at wireless industry research firm MobileTrax LLC in Cupertino, Calif., says devices such as PocketSurfer are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wireless Net access.

"I think it's interesting to see this as an early prototype of what we'll see in the next few years in the marketplace," Purdy said after viewing the PocketSurfer on DataWind's company Web site. "We're seeing a lot of people do interesting things with wireless access that isn't about data being rammed through the cell phone. The Web is about rich [multimedia] experiences and phones are just bad for that."

One area that Purdy says could put a dent in PocketSurfer's immediate appeal is the continuing rollout of more Wi-Fi hot spots. With increased Wi-Fi coverage, mobile workers might find PocketSurfer's usefulness very limited compared with the Wi-Fi laptops they're already carrying.

And Purdy also notes that the telecommunications and computer industries are constantly evolving and producing new wireless devices and solutions that eclipse current concepts.

"It's not all baked yet, but there's enough people working on this that will provide enough innovations where all of a sudden someone will get it right," said Purdy.