[SGVLUG] New card on the market: helio "Hybrid"

Emerson, Tom Tom.Emerson at wbconsultant.com
Fri Oct 6 15:48:54 PDT 2006


With, of course, only windows drivers... :(

I've started the process of hounding them for "linux drivers", those of
you with similar interests should visit their webpage and request the
same...

http://www.helio.com/page?p=devices_hybrid

What is it?  It's a "3G" pcmcia card, i.e., it gives you access to the
3G network [wireless broadband without necessarilly being near a
"hotspot"] as well as working as a traditional "wi-fi" card (that would
be 802.1 a/b/g I presume?)  The 3G service is priced at $85/month, which
is about what I recall other vendors asking for on their service as
well.  Right now, the card itself is "free" if you sign up for a 2-year
plan.

Unfortunately, searching for information on "Helio" and "linux" is a bit
of a pain because:

  -- there is a device explicitly called the Helio which apparently CAN
run linux (it's a PDA type device, what I'm talking about above is a
phone...)
  -- there is at least one linux advocate with an e-mail identity of
either "Helio" or "Helios"
  -- Helio, naturally, advertises on technically oriented sites, so a
search for, say, a c-net article on "linux" may have "helio" on the same
page due to an advertisement or related article link, but google doesn't
make the distinction between content and advert... :(



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