The installation of the PWE however, is anything but difficult. You simply clip the module on and the software is actually embedded into the module itself. Once you clip it on, the software will try to install on to your handheld, dispensing the need for downloading software or the use of clumsy diskettes or CDs. The Palm platform is always touted for its simplicity. This product maintains that simplicity standard dutifully. Once you have the software installed, the set-up process is similar to what you expect from mainstream 802.11b products for notebooks or PC computers. For more controlled environments, the MAC address is labelled on the device itself so you can add it to your local access point database.

Nothing is missing simply because this is a handheld product. You have an option between five wireless profiles, a good feature especially since this is the device you'll most often use on the go letting you save your settings with your office, home, Starbucks and still have space for more roaming. One of the most contested issues about 802.11b these days is undeniably the security or perceived security of the platform. The PWE offers full support for 40 and 128-bit encryption. But unfortunately, the PWE is like Intel's 802.11b solution for the Pocket PC as it lacks the ability to accept plaintext passphrases for keys. Although this constitutes the chagrin of most 802.11b security critics, I think it would save a lot of time even for people who can probably translate passphrases to hexadecimal. As such, you'll have to enter your encryption key through manually which can be quite a chore for non-technical users.

The PWE also features a built in lithium ion battery. Wireless 802.11b can be quite a drain on power and this fact is exasperated on handhelds. The manufacturers of the PWE have certainly thought about this and even included an AC slot that works with the charger that comes with your Palm to charge the PWE and the handheld in tandem. The rated lifetime is eight hours, with a two hour lifetime for continuous use, which rarely ever happens on the Palm platform. Moreover, the battery is replaceable and in real-life testing, sufficiently extends the original life of the Palm handheld making it a glorified battery accessory as well but even then, the PWE's software has excellent power management toggling power based on usage.

The question that might come into the mind of Palm users by now is what would you use your 802.11b access for? More astute Palm users will wonder how it will even begin to support all the pre-existing Palm applications. The PWE software actually emulates a modem connection like a normal analog modem. This enables just about any Palm software to take advantage of the PWE. Previous applications that were the exclusive purview of wireless solutions like Omnisky or the i705 device are now available to the regular Palm user as well, without the cost of membership or signup fees. PQAs and web clipping can now be done with the PWE. The performance of 802.11b on a Palm handheld is nothing short of phenomenal when compared to analog modems or other wireless solutions. The overall effect is appreciable even in simple tasks like checking POP3 e-mail and definitely noticeable in web browsing via the Palm. For users who have had experience with wireless on the Palm platform, the experience is as liberating as making the transition from narrow to a broadband connection.

You can also opt to use Network Hotsync to pair up with your desktop PC. But it only supports static IP so those stuck in a corporate environment with DHCP will be unable to use it. Furthermore, while the PWE is quite light in itself, anything adorning a modern Palm handheld these days, especially the m5xx series, will undoubtedly seem cumbersome. We aren't talking about cumbersome in the sense that the PWE and Palm combination is larger than say an iPAQ with a PC sleeve but it adds a noticeable bulk to the device. Moreover, its dimensions prevent you from using a PWE-equipped Palm with your existing cradle. This prevents it from being constantly tethered to your Palm.

Faults like entering the WEP encryption manually can be overlooked since technically, it's only a one-time process unless you're in a militarized wireless environment where passphrases change everyday. But the PWE's cost is probably its biggest inhibitor. At an MSRP of $299 US, it is duly expensive, comparable in cost to competing Bluetooth products. So you have to wonder what type of audience Intel has in mind with this product. It certainly would have to be the most avid of a consumer or in a corporate environment. The Intel website adds school campuses as the third. For example, the m130's price is roughly equivalent to the price of the PWE. Thus, I don't foresee too many users of that PDA taking this solution up, even with its tremendous benefits.

The PWE is quite clever in working itself around Palm's only conduit for communication (through its rather dated modem communication option). It follows that any limitations on what you can do with the PWE really rest with Palm OS. It's not fair to say you can't host any server applications with the PWE since that is the fault of the operating system. Transferring files between network shares for example, was one of the things I did with a Pocket PC on 802.11b but the lack of a file system in Palm OS 4.0 means I will have to do without one crucial, sine qua non, usage of wireless networks. Moreover, the performance of the PWE really pushes the performance of the Palm processors. While you can only render a website as fast as you can receive it, the reverse is true with web browsing on a PWE equipped PDA.

With that said, the premium price comes with premium options, like the inclusion of a removable lithium ion battery. Moreover, the tie-in via the dial-up section of the modem and support of existing PQA applications ensures maximum compatibility with the Palm platform. Clearly, the PWE was designed from ground up to be a comprehensive 802.11b solution for the Palm platform and suffers none of the schizoid crises in Intel's PC Card solution for the Pocket PC. Using the Universal Connector that Palm pioneered, the PWE works with modern Palm handhelds. With new and increasingly radical designs from manufacturers like Sony and Handspring, it's not clear whether your purchase of the PWE will be able to transfer directly to other handhelds. As it stands now of course, you're relegated to relying on PDAs from Palm. Furthermore, there remains the question of the impending upgrade of Palm OS itself. The PWE works exclusively with Palm OS 4.0 but it remains to be seen whether the PWE will be able to make the jump to Palm OS 5.0 and be adaptable to the myriad of wireless functions that edition of the operating system will undoubtedly include. Such considerations, especially for the average consumer, are of a concern since PDA users are increasingly tempted to switch their PDAs. The somewhat prohibitive price of the PWE, which effectively amounts to a low cost PDA in itself, also helps bring such issues to bear.

However, no other avenue appears to provide equivalent performance. Compared with other options like piggybacking on a cell phone or using an analog modem, 802.11b's performance is the best, par excellence, in the wired and wireless field. Literally opening up a floodgate, the PWE enables you to truly appreciate PQAs, web clipping and take advantage of things like instant messaging, e-mail and web browsing. Though I haven't seen any 802.11b specific Palm games yet, I have been briefed on a few multiplayer PQA games being developed for wireless Palm OS cell phones that the PWE will help gamers take advantage of. But the entertainment prospects currently look dimmer than what is happening in Pocket PC development. Until Palm OS is embraced as a cell phone operating system, I don't think the multiplayer games will cross-pollinate. There is one prototype that bucks the trend called the Palm Adventure (http://www.palmadventure.com/), which is an MMORPG in PQA format. Certainly, such developments are beginning to look promising. In the final analysis though, I don't think the issues with longevity of the product could necessarily be blamed on the design of the PWE and surely, they do not obfuscate from the obvious strengths the PWE brings to Palm handhelds. It simply is the de facto 802.11b solution for Palm-branded handhelds today.

Ratings:
[25/25] Performance
[24/25] Ease of Use
[18/20] Flexibility
[12/15] Value
[10/10] Novelty
[04/05] Longevity