| Tired of slow dial-up speeds and spotty Wi-Fi | | | | increasingly popular for their PC-like functionality |
| networks? If you are one of many people living in | | | | and advanced capabilities, including high-speed |
| a rural areas without access to high-speed wired | | | | Internet connections. |
| Internet connections like DSL and cable, or if you | | | | Dongle. A dongle is a small piece of hardware that |
| live in a city and are constantly on the go and | | | | looks like a USB flash drive and connects in a |
| need a high-speed mobile Internet connection to | | | | similar way to a laptop or desktop computer. |
| fit your busy life, mobile broadband may be for | | | | These are often used as wireless Internet |
| you. It is a reliable, efficient, and affordable way | | | | broadband adapters. |
| to check your email or access other websites | | | | CompactFlash. CompactFlash cards are mass |
| from wherever you are. | | | | storage devices used in portable electronic |
| Using towers that are similar to those used by cell | | | | devices. A CompactFlash card can be used in a |
| phone networks, these mobile Internet systems | | | | cell phone or, with the help of an adapter, in |
| offer coverage to entire areas up to 3,000 | | | | laptop computer. They enable users to connect to |
| square miles in size. There are a variety of | | | | the Internet through mobile networks that span |
| portable electronic devices on the market today | | | | large areas using tower transmitters. |
| that let you connect to the Internet anytime, any | | | | PC Cards and ExpressCards. These are plug-in |
| place. Here is a breakdown of the different types | | | | devices typically used with laptop computers. The |
| of devices you might use. | | | | now-defunct PC Card was originally developed for |
| PDAs. PDAs, or personal digital assistants, also | | | | computer storage expansion purposes. The |
| known as a palmtop computer, are handheld | | | | ExpressCard is the successor to the now |
| devices that were originally designed to be used | | | | outdated PC Card and can be used to connect to |
| as personal organizers. Accordingly, basic PDA | | | | the Internet, as Mobile broadband cards are one |
| features include a date book, address book, task | | | | kind of ExpressCard hardware currently available. |
| list, and memo pad. Since PDAs were first | | | | SDIO. SDIO stands for Standard Digital Input |
| introduced to the market in the early 1990s, | | | | Output, and accordingly, an SDIO card is a |
| telecommunications technology has seen | | | | combination of an SD card and an Input/Output |
| advances that now allow them to connect to the | | | | device that can be used to connect to the |
| Internet using high-speed mobile broadband | | | | Internet with a portable electronic device. |
| networks. This means that users can access email | | | | MiFi. Introduced in the United States in mid-2009, a |
| and synchronize information on their PDA with a | | | | MiFi is a small compact device that is used as a |
| desktop computer. | | | | mobile Wi-Fi router. It creates a “cloud” of |
| Smartphones and mobile phones. What is known | | | | high-speed Internet connectivity using a cellular |
| as the fourth generation of cell phones, or 4G, | | | | data network and local Wi-Fi devices. |
| can be used to get broadband wireless access | | | | For reliable high-speed wireless Internet, choose |
| from just about anywhere, using WiMax | | | | clear wireless. If you’re on a budget or |
| networks that can extend coverage to entire | | | | traveling often, check out the pay-as-you-go plans |
| metropolitan areas. Models of smartphones, such | | | | that clear internet service offers. |
| as the iPhone and Blackberry, are becoming | | | | |