MW800 is Finally Here - It's AWESOME!
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2003 1:29 pm
WOW! For all you avid ASTRO IVD fans, take a look at Motorola's new, state-of-the-art MDT--- the MW800.
The MW520 now shows Intent to Cancel, effective 31 March 2003 (per the latest Feb 2003 R3). As soon as I noticed the Intent to Cancel on the MW520, I hopped onto Motorola's dedicated MDT web site (which is outstanding in its own right!) and there it was---the new MW800 web pages are FINALLY accessible and populated, with tons of data, photos, etc. regarding the MW800. Until just a few days ago, the MW800 icon was there (but grey shaded), so when you clicked on it, you got nothing (until now).
Don't mistake the MW800 for the Mobile Laptop (ML800), nor the Portable Tablet (PT800) varieties---they are different animals. Nice products, but they lack a number of key options and specs of the MW800 (unless, of course, you need to get out of your vehicle with your PC, in which case a more garden variety (albeit hardened) laptop, loaded with Windows 2000 OS and an appropriate application(s) will do just fine, IMHO.
The capabilities of the MW800 are quite impressive. For instance, it includes an optional 802.11b integrated transceiver, with the full legal limit of 1 watt of RF power (vs. PCMCIA WiFi cards running mere mWs of power into a tiny internal patch antenna, and no way to easily connect the RF to an external antenna). The MW800's WiFi option includes a transceiver built-in to the CPU box, with a mini-UHF jack on the back of the CPU to connect to your coax.
Larsen (sorry, now Radialllarsen!-Yes, with 3 L's!) just released a 2.4 GHz 5 dB gain mobile whip antenna, with an NMO base, for wiFi operations. They developed an all new, and WAY KEWL, special NMO mount that has a tiny removable adapter cap on the center pin of the NMO mount that you (optionally) remove for operations above 900 MHz. Works like a champ at the 2.4 GHz WiFi frequencies! And the whip is only 8 inches tall. Place the tiny cap back on the NMO's center pin, and you now are ready for ops below 900 MHz.
With the new MW800 and its optional, built-in 802.11b transceiver and your roof mounted Larsen 5 dB WiFi antenna, you can drive to whithin a half a mile (or even further!) from most Star Bucks coffee joints, and Boomb! You've got 1.5 Mb/s high speed Internet access (so long as you subscribe to T-Mobile's WiFi service). Since it's mandatory for all cops to stop at Star Bucks at least several times per day, this set-up should work great for catching up on email and/or surfing Batlabs while enjoying a cup of coffee in your Crown Vic! (Look to see lots of cops doing same, just as soon as their Depts get this new MDT. Wonder how long it will take the Chiefs to prohibit the 802.11b internal radio option?)
Larry
The MW520 now shows Intent to Cancel, effective 31 March 2003 (per the latest Feb 2003 R3). As soon as I noticed the Intent to Cancel on the MW520, I hopped onto Motorola's dedicated MDT web site (which is outstanding in its own right!) and there it was---the new MW800 web pages are FINALLY accessible and populated, with tons of data, photos, etc. regarding the MW800. Until just a few days ago, the MW800 icon was there (but grey shaded), so when you clicked on it, you got nothing (until now).
Don't mistake the MW800 for the Mobile Laptop (ML800), nor the Portable Tablet (PT800) varieties---they are different animals. Nice products, but they lack a number of key options and specs of the MW800 (unless, of course, you need to get out of your vehicle with your PC, in which case a more garden variety (albeit hardened) laptop, loaded with Windows 2000 OS and an appropriate application(s) will do just fine, IMHO.
The capabilities of the MW800 are quite impressive. For instance, it includes an optional 802.11b integrated transceiver, with the full legal limit of 1 watt of RF power (vs. PCMCIA WiFi cards running mere mWs of power into a tiny internal patch antenna, and no way to easily connect the RF to an external antenna). The MW800's WiFi option includes a transceiver built-in to the CPU box, with a mini-UHF jack on the back of the CPU to connect to your coax.
Larsen (sorry, now Radialllarsen!-Yes, with 3 L's!) just released a 2.4 GHz 5 dB gain mobile whip antenna, with an NMO base, for wiFi operations. They developed an all new, and WAY KEWL, special NMO mount that has a tiny removable adapter cap on the center pin of the NMO mount that you (optionally) remove for operations above 900 MHz. Works like a champ at the 2.4 GHz WiFi frequencies! And the whip is only 8 inches tall. Place the tiny cap back on the NMO's center pin, and you now are ready for ops below 900 MHz.
With the new MW800 and its optional, built-in 802.11b transceiver and your roof mounted Larsen 5 dB WiFi antenna, you can drive to whithin a half a mile (or even further!) from most Star Bucks coffee joints, and Boomb! You've got 1.5 Mb/s high speed Internet access (so long as you subscribe to T-Mobile's WiFi service). Since it's mandatory for all cops to stop at Star Bucks at least several times per day, this set-up should work great for catching up on email and/or surfing Batlabs while enjoying a cup of coffee in your Crown Vic! (Look to see lots of cops doing same, just as soon as their Depts get this new MDT. Wonder how long it will take the Chiefs to prohibit the 802.11b internal radio option?)
Larry
