Citation
(2004), "On the wireless", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 53 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2004.07953baa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
On the wireless
The benefits of wireless computing are both heavily-promoted and obvious. Its quite something to be able to sit in a conference hall and be able to connect back to base (or elsewhere). I even have wireless networking at home – I’m not going to tell you where I live or you’ll come and steal my bandwidth. I do understand the underlying technology – though my anorak licence is in need of renewal – but it is still “magical”.
However, I am sceptical about the investments currently being made in public “Hot spots”. Can you imagine groups of unshaven, dirty, long-hairs tramping round cities looking for a “WiFi zone” sticker, eager for their next “fix”. Of course such hot spots may prove useful – I can imagine using one for a particular purpose for a short period, but drinking coffee over my precious laptop seems both dangerous and anti-social. On my own at an airport or railway station, I might be tempted to connect … but only if the price is right. (The kinds of charges I’ve seen bandied about so far are certainly less than tempting.)
Perhaps the rest of you are different (or would that make me different?). Perhaps you’ve all become Centrino-enabled just to take advantage of these new routes into the Web.