Samsung shows off Wibro notebook

Samsung is showing off what it claims to be the world's first WiMAX-enabled notebook, although this one sports the Korean WiBro flavor. For our first time readers, WiMAX is a long-range wireless broadband standard that offers download speeds up to 300 Mbps, although the final specs have yet to be ratified. What this means for you, simply, is that the WiFi laptop you got for Christmas is already totally played out.

[pam @ Feb 9th 2006 10:12PM]

WiBro really sounds like something girl techs ought to say to boy techs.

Other than that... uh... yeah stickers.

[sr @ Jan 7th 2006 1:27PM]

I don't about you but all this "WiBro" crap is really irritating. I mean who names something "WiBro? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds a little too homosexual for mainstream audiences?

[bentong @ Jan 7th 2006 1:32PM]

nice.

[Fabian Bauhaus @ Jan 7th 2006 1:35PM]

There are 6 stickers on this thing. I guess they shouldn't let kids get near this thing anymore.

[ishtar @ Jan 7th 2006 1:39PM]

Wikipedia states that wimax claims the bandwidth to be 70Mbit/s, but in "realworld" the bandwidth was more like 2Mbit/s...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimax

[Frankie Q @ Jan 7th 2006 1:46PM]

Stickers stickers stickers! Who cares about the name, it has STICKERS!!!

[Ici @ Jan 7th 2006 2:16PM]

hey sr #1, feeling a little bit homophobic there are we?

[rsc1000 @ Jan 7th 2006 3:00PM]

I don't why there is this idea that WiBro is a type of wifi/wimax - the article here states this laptop has the 'WiBro flavor of WiMax'. Well, last i checked, WiMax (like 11a,g etc types of WiFi before it) is a real standards based wireless network technology that operates in the UNLICENSED spectrum - WiBro is a purely Korean standard that uses LICENSED spectrum - i.e. any WiBro hotspot / towers or whatever can only be operated by companies who pay govenerments for the use of the spectrum. Pretty big difference - as big as the difference between say, Wifi and CDMA. WiBro = a flavor of WiMax? I don't think so - but i guess it depends on how you define it.

[Whiplash @ Jan 7th 2006 3:08PM]

It sounds like "Why Bro?" to me. I too am sick of lame sounding names for technology. But then again, I always thought Pentium was a stupid name too.

[Yem @ Jan 7th 2006 3:21PM]

@5: I would guess that the 0.5-2mbit speed is over long distance and the very high speeds are over short distance. Makes sense, no? I get 2.5mbit over 802.11g.

[Ken @ Jan 7th 2006 6:21PM]

It should have been named "Da Pump" or Grrrrrrr or BoogaBoogaa !!!



But then I hate these little touchy-feely "touch" pads they have and in all this time they have not moved beyond that stupid thing!!!



AND, it would be so nice if they did not have the key pad a mile from the front edge !!!



I am waiting for the $100 notebook that is SO imminent !!!

[ishtar @ Jan 7th 2006 7:12PM]

#9: You are correct, RTFM for more info ;)



the wiki do mention the korean thang as part of wimax too

[Min Thu @ Jan 7th 2006 9:46PM]

The name "WiBro" isn't that nice!

[Pete Cornish @ Jan 8th 2006 12:07PM]

4 Comments moaning about the *name* WiBro?! Jeez, way to miss a great opportunity to comment on tech guys.. ;)

[lorrie lou @ Jan 8th 2006 4:10PM]

I'll keep my HD-DVR for $10 a month for now. I'm sure there will be 4 or 5 more upgrades in the next couple years. Then I'll snag on. I'm tired of trashing my 1yr old outdated gagets for the new latest technology. It's costing me a furtune. This time I'm sitting back and waiting. (^:^)

[jake @ Jan 8th 2006 4:46PM]

mmm, good thing we have PCMCIA slots

[frank @ Jan 9th 2006 6:06PM]

Wibro is a subset of the just ractified mobile wimax (802.12e). It was invented by Koreans that doesnt mean it is exclusive to Korea. Infact, SprintNextel - among other carriers- are currently running trials of wibro.



To say that Wimax is only for unlicensed frequency is plain wrong. The original definition extends ranges from 900mhz up to 11ghz. However, it is becoming obvious that 2.3ghz - 2.4ghz; 2.5ghz - 2.6 ghz; 3.5ghz (not available in the USA) and 5.8ghz (license free) will be the most popular frequencies.



Regarding the mobile wimax (802.16e) the realistic frequencies will be 2.3 - 2.6ghz - considering the distance limitations of higher frequencies.



Towerstream inpelemtaions of fixed wimax (802.16-2004) in Boston / New York, and intel trials in Las Vegas acheieves speed in excess of 14mbps; to say wimax is limited to 2mps is simply not true. Realistically, Mobile wimax should cap at about 2mbps this compares extremely well with the cell network 3G networks with speeds of 150kbps - 750kbps.



For those still singing the "hype" hymn of the telcos... I just hope you are being paid enough for that cos beileve it or not, WIMAX IS HERE TO STAY with or without your approval.

[frank @ Jan 9th 2006 6:17PM]

Correction: 17. Wibro is a subset of the just ractified mobile wimax (802.16e) not 802.12e ... apologies for the typo