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<RDF><channel xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" rdf:about="http://www.whatpc.co.uk/"><title>The most recent articles from What PC?</title><link>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/</link><description>The most recent articles from What PC? (Generated on Thursday 8 January 2009 at 08:53:11)</description><publisher>VNU Business Publications LTD, London UK</publisher><rights>Copyright &#xA9; 1994-2009 VNU Business Publications LTD, London UK</rights><creator>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/</creator><date>2009-01-08T08:53:11.779Z</date><image rdf:resource="http://www.whatpc.co.uk/images/rss/wpc_logo.gif" /><items><Seq><li rdf:resource="http://www.whatpc.co.uk/whatpc/hardware/2132695/xircom-compactcards" /></Seq></items></channel><image xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" rdf:about="http://www.whatpc.co.uk/images/rss/wpc_logo.gif"><title>The most recent articles from What PC?</title><url>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/images/rss/wpc_logo.gif</url><link>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/</link></image><item xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" rdf:about="http://www.whatpc.co.uk/whatpc/hardware/2132695/xircom-compactcards"><title>Xircom CompactCards</title><guid>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/whatpc/hardware/2132695/xircom-compactcards</guid><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;small&gt;Julian Prokaza, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.whatpc.co.uk/&quot;&gt;What PC?&lt;/a&gt;, Wednesday 1 March 2000 at 00:00:00&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;CompactFlash has more uses than just storing your digital camera pictures. Xircom has used the format to create three connectivity cards - a 56K modem, a GSM modem and an ethernet card - so now you can keep in touch from your Windows CE device no matter where you are.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;content page=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;html&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;p&gt;Although it was originally intended as a storage medium for digital cameras, the versatility of the CompactFlash card has resulted in it finding favour with other devices that need a small, rugged and relatively cheap alternative to a hard disk. Storage isn&apos;t the only use for the CompactFlash design, though, as Xircom illustrates with its new CompactCards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The CompactCards are actually Type II CompactFlash cards and this is an important point. Type II cards are slightly fatter than the more common Type I cards and so need a slot of the appropriate type. All the Windows CE devices we&apos;ve seen with CompactFlash have Type II slots, and those that don&apos;t have a Type II PC Card slot - into which a CompactFlash will fit with an adaptor. If you&apos;re wondering about Psion handhelds, forget it - Xircom only supports Windows CE.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are three cards - a 56Kbit/sec modem, a GSM modem and an ethernet network adaptor. All come with the necessary cabling but you&apos;ll need to specify your make of phone for the GSM modem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Installation is a cinch - just plug in a card and configure your handheld. No drivers are needed for the modems and a Wizard configures the ethernet adaptor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We don&apos;t know of any Windows CE handheld without a built-in fixed-line modem, but the GSM card will appeal to some users. No CE palmtop has a modem, though, and we had a Compaq Aero 1520 sending email and surfing the web (via a freeware CE browser) in a matter of minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Ethernet adaptor is really only of use in a business environment, but the option to give a CE device 10Mbits/sec access to the office network will be of use to many.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Price&lt;/b&gt; &#xA3;104.58 (modem), &#xA3;92.83 (GSM), &#xA3;104.58 (ethernet 10)&lt;b&gt;Contact&lt;/b&gt; Xircom 00800 7070 6060&lt;b&gt;Minimum requirements&lt;/b&gt; Windows CE device with Type II CompactFlash slot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;&lt;/content&gt;</description><link>http://www.whatpc.co.uk/whatpc/hardware/2132695/xircom-compactcards</link><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;small&gt;Julian Prokaza, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.whatpc.co.uk/&quot;&gt;What PC?&lt;/a&gt;, Wednesday 1 March 2000 at 00:00:00&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;CompactFlash has more uses than just storing your digital camera pictures. Xircom has used the format to create three connectivity cards - a 56K modem, a GSM modem and an ethernet card - so now you can keep in touch from your Windows CE device no matter where you are.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;content page=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;html&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;p&gt;Although it was originally intended as a storage medium for digital cameras, the versatility of the CompactFlash card has resulted in it finding favour with other devices that need a small, rugged and relatively cheap alternative to a hard disk. Storage isn&apos;t the only use for the CompactFlash design, though, as Xircom illustrates with its new CompactCards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The CompactCards are actually Type II CompactFlash cards and this is an important point. Type II cards are slightly fatter than the more common Type I cards and so need a slot of the appropriate type. All the Windows CE devices we&apos;ve seen with CompactFlash have Type II slots, and those that don&apos;t have a Type II PC Card slot - into which a CompactFlash will fit with an adaptor. If you&apos;re wondering about Psion handhelds, forget it - Xircom only supports Windows CE.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are three cards - a 56Kbit/sec modem, a GSM modem and an ethernet network adaptor. All come with the necessary cabling but you&apos;ll need to specify your make of phone for the GSM modem.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Installation is a cinch - just plug in a card and configure your handheld. No drivers are needed for the modems and a Wizard configures the ethernet adaptor.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We don&apos;t know of any Windows CE handheld without a built-in fixed-line modem, but the GSM card will appeal to some users. No CE palmtop has a modem, though, and we had a Compaq Aero 1520 sending email and surfing the web (via a freeware CE browser) in a matter of minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Ethernet adaptor is really only of use in a business environment, but the option to give a CE device 10Mbits/sec access to the office network will be of use to many.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Price&lt;/b&gt; &#xA3;104.58 (modem), &#xA3;92.83 (GSM), &#xA3;104.58 (ethernet 10)&lt;b&gt;Contact&lt;/b&gt; Xircom 00800 7070 6060&lt;b&gt;Minimum requirements&lt;/b&gt; Windows CE device with Type II CompactFlash slot.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;&lt;/content&gt;</description><publisher>VNU Business Publications LTD, London UK</publisher><rights>Copyright &#xA9; 1994-2009 VNU Business Publications LTD, London UK</rights><creator>Julian Prokaza</creator><date>2000-03-01T24:00:00.000Z</date><subject>Hardware Reviews</subject><category>mobile-technology</category></item></RDF>
