I have to�say that the Spectec SDW-820 SDIO WiFi Card is not a product I would have ever needed, if Palm hadn’t decided to deny WiFi to to its legion of WM5 Treo users. I can hear some of you asking it now…”Why would anyone with an all-you-can-eat data plan need WiFi?”

Right?

Well, because sometimes you do.

I’ve been in plenty of airports that offered WiFi service, but because they were built like bunkers my mobile phone’s signal was poor. I’ve also been in other countries where using GPRS data ran my T-Mobile bill into ridiculous sums – but WiFi was readily available, and it was free!

So some of you will smugly sit there thinking that you would never need a product like this, and that’s cool. I was once like that, too.

For those of you that understand the WiFi-less quandary, read on…

The Spectec 802.11b SDIO card measures 1.5″ long, roughly 0.25″ longer than the typical SD card. Included in the package are the WiFi SDIO card, a plastic storage case, and a driver disk.

Specifications:

Yeah, I noticed the absence of Palm OS from the compatible list, too. But since my Treo happens to be WM5, I am in luck.

Using the mini CD driver installation disk, a small WiFi program is added to the PDA via ActiveSync.

Once installed, the SDIO card pokes above the SD slot about 0.25″, or just enough for the Spectec logo to nicely display.

And here’s the backside. A green LED will shine at the base of the card (closest to the antenna) when WiFi is connected; it will quickly blink as the connection is established.

This is the WM5 Wireless Manager before adding the card…

After the driver has been installed and each time the card is inserted, this WiFi Warning will pop up…

I didn’t notice any interference during phone calls while using the WiFi card, but I suppose the advice given for emergency calls is wise; clicking Dismiss will reveal the newly amended Wireless Manager.

Once the Spectec SDIO WiFi card is running, the PDA has the same conveniences of a PDA with built-in WiFi, except for one – access to the memory slot is lost. Depending upon what programs the user has installed, this may be a big deal. Considering the minor miracles that Spectec has performed with inserting a microSD in their SDIO GPS card, I really do wish they could have tucked a similar slot into this one.

Other than a lack of built-in memory or memory expansion capability, this WiFi card is the perfect accessory for anyone with a WM5 Treo or other Pocket PC without WiFi, and yes they still exist! Those of you with WM5 Treo 750s might want to watch for Mitchell’s upcoming review of the Spectec SDW-822 miniSDIO WiFi Card.

The Spectec SDW-820 SDIO WiFi Card is available directly from the manufacturer as well as from other retailers. Write to them for information on the retailer in your country. In the US, the authorized reseller is Setec.
MSRP: $46.85
What I Like: Adds the ability to wirelessly connect via WiFi to any Pocket PC with an SDIO slot
What Needs Improvement: I wish there were either added memory on the card, or a microSD slot

[eminimall]