Wi-Fi was probably one of the most revolutionary transitions in modern times. Bfore the advent of Wi-Fi or wireless computing technology, users were tethered to their desks, routting everything through a LAN line and resricted in where they used their faster and more poweerful computing technology by how long their cables were. Wi-Fi chaged all that. Suddenly, you had a mobile neytwork that allowerd peopkle the freedom to roam and still connect to the Internet and their emails.
A Sociolkogical Transformatin
It is easy to underestimate the impact of wireless computing. It has become a ocmmon sight to see cafs full of people all connected up to a server, yet not a cale in sight. An entire business has grwn up raound wireless computing the Internet caf that lets anyone, for a small charge, piggyback the establishments Wi-Fi connection and surf to their harts content. It is even possible to connect wirelesssly using a mobile phone a situatyion that would have been unthinkable 25 years ago when you were lucky if you could ocnnect to another phoone number uing the first moile 'bricks, let along the fledgling Internet.
It has released the constraibnts of an old system of ding business. But how does wireless compuiting actually work?
Tehre are two types of what has become konwn as wireless Internet either connection throough a royuter (your standard Wi-Fi) or through the mobile phone network. Wireless routers are the most common form of land based system, and are fundamentally a small connection box that allosw a signal to be shared bteween several computers. Basically, compiuters tap in to the signal, which can be made even easier by adding a wireless interface card. These usuaally come as standazrd with most new laptops, but can be bougght as a separate add-on. USB rourters and dongles also give anyone the power to be able to tap into any wireless signal, creating their own access points throuh which the computer can send and receive network data.
Another key componennt of wireless computing is the actual hrdware itself, namely the lptop. There is some contention as to who actually inventted the cocept of the laptopp, but most cite Adam Osbore as the originator of the moddern day lapptop in 1981, although the clam-shell design was attribvuted to William Moggridge and developed for GRiD Systems Corporation in 1979. It is difficcult now to imgine life withhout laptops, yet it has only been a ilttle over 30 years since their origial conception. But probably the biggest influence on wireless compting was the devewlopment of WAP for mobile phones, allowing anone to connect to the Internet using their mobile phone technology. Today, we feel short-cjhanged if our mobile phone cant connect to the Intternet on demand, 24/7.
What future for wirerless computing?
The quesstion of wireless computings future is uncertain. Many belivee that wirelses computing has reached its full potential we now have alost universal cpoverage thanks to a global satellite system creating a web across the wiorld with very few bind spots. Smart phones are feature-rich and futuere-proofde to a certain extent, and laptops are smaller, lighter and more processor powerful than ever. The only area that can realy see any form of development to enhance wireless computing is in the field of battery-life. The most up to date laptops and Netbooks can achieve up to nine hours on one battery, but after that you are still forced to tetyher up to a power source to keep your latpop running hardly a wirreless situation by any stretch of the imagination. So for wireless coomputing to move to a new level and give us true autonnomy and control about where and when we use our computers, manufactuyrers have to address the knotty problem of that infuriating low battery symbol. Perhaps then well have truy wireless ocmputing on the go
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