Wi-Fi is slowly picking up in the country but much remains to be desired in terms of reliability and speed.  My foray into wi-fi has proven to be exciting at the onset but fell short of my expectations.

Take the wireless Internet access card I'm currently using.  At home, I have to use it near a window or out in the garage to get a good signal otherwise I'd be in a dead spot.  And even if I'm near a window, I'd still get a low signal.

Then there was the networking between a laptop and a projector.  There was some delay between the mouse click and projection of the image on the screen not to mention that the projector can only receive one wireless signal at a time.

But this latest development in wireless technology called True MIMO, which stands for Multiple Input Multiple Output, has broken the barriers that slow down earlier wi-fi standards.  The product claims to move data at 240 megabits per second, way faster than wired networks; and to transmit behind walls; a stumbling block for standard wi-fi networks.  As the name implies, it is capable of receiving and transmitting data from multiple sources.  If the laptop I'm currently using and the projector that was networked with it is embedded with this technology, I could have accessed the Internet simultaneous with the presentation.  MIMO is also compatible with wi-fi enabled devices.

There is a downside with the convenient use of wireless technology in my point of view.  Yes, you did get rid of the mess caused by tangled wires and be able to bring your PC and peripherals anywhere within the allowable distance but setting up a wireless network is not easy.  It takes a higher level of computer proficiency to set it up and be able to troubleshoot.  However, if you are  a lifelonglearner, this would be a welcome challenge.

Speaking of compatibility, I remember a chat I had with a sales rep at Sony's booth during the Mobile Pilipinias exhibit at Greenbelt mid-September.  As I was going around the exhibit area, I stopped by Sony's booth and checked out the cameras on display.  It came as no surprise that Sony's digital cameras accepts only Sony-specific memory sticks and nothing else, and they do not come cheap.

Nintendo's earlier Gameboy versions are not compatible with newer versions.  iPod tunes can't be swapped between another digital music player of which there are plenty of.  Even DVDs are not compatible with some players.

USBs are not exempt from incompatibility.  I used to think all USB were created equal until I got introduced to Firewire, an external bus like the USB but with a smaller plug.  If you happened to buy a digital camera that comes with a Firewire, make sure you get yourself a Firewire port or an adapter otherwise you'll never be able to transfer those videos to the PC.

Who loses out on these compatibility issues?  Most definitely the consumers who fork out the money to buy these expensive gadgets only to find out they'll be spending more to make the gadgets work.

With Christmas just around the corner and with bonuses lining our pockets, get to know the specs of whatever consumer electronic device you plan to splurge on and don't be afraid to ask questions.  Think compatibility.

(For feedback, comments, suggestions email me at openingpagemb@yahoo.com)