Wi-Fi Is Hot–But Manufacturers Are Cautious

A new survey by WiFi Alliance shows that WiFi is becoming more popular, with nearly 9 out of 10 respondents choosing their wireless connection over a year’s worth of Starbucks. Moreover, 80 percent of those surveyed would not mind seeing their home team lose if they can keep their WiFi connection.

This increasing popularity, however, has not yet translated into high interest in the technology among consumer electronic makers. According to In-Stat analyst Gemma Tedesco, only handheld games and gaming consoles, such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 (its high-end version) and PlayStation Portable as well as Nintendo’s Wii and DS, have been embedded with WiFi. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has no built-in WiFi but with an extra $100, clients can get an 802.11a/b/g USB adapter.

Tedesco noted that manufacturers of other gadgets such as media players, digital cameras, set-top boxes and digital TVs opted not to integrate WiFi into their products. She ascribed this situation, particularly for media players, to digital rights management and quality-of-service issues. Tedesco expects interest in built-in WiFi with the ratification of 802.11n standard, which offers higher speed.
Via [pcworld.com]

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