[SPARCbook] TDK 5660 PCMCIA modem and GSM?

[Tom Kranz]

Hi everyone,

I've got a new job, and with much glee have started using my Sparcbook
instead of the wretched Compaq desktop they've given me :-)

One thing, however - I'd like to use my GSM phone on the train, plugged
into the Sparcbook, for PPP on the move.

Now, TDK's Global Freedom 5660 PCMCIA modem has GSM upgrade kits for my
phone (an Ericsson T28s) - as I understand it, this is just a special
cable to connect the two (a bit of a rip off at over 90 UKP).

So, the questions :-)

First, does anyone have *any* GSM phones functioning with their
Sparcbooks?

Second, does anyone have any experience of the above TDK PCMCIA modem?
I'm assuming it works OK, but it might be a winmodem underneath :-(
Certainly the TDK GlobalPulse software I use on my Palm Pilot is
software based.

Third, anyone got any other ideas? I already use the built-in ISDN, but
that doesn't help much on the train :-)

Last up, in my previous job, there was a possibilty of a work-funded
trade in of my Sparcbook for an Ultrabook. It all fell apart after I
left :-( but when I was speaking to the nice Tadpole people in the UK,
one of the factors (for me) was functional 802.11b wireless LAN card
driver.

It seems that Tadpole's engineers have been working on one for a while,
but it's been pushed back in favour of more pressing needs. Anyway, the
people I was speaking to mentioned that the driver was nearly finished,
and would work with the Aironet 802.11b cards - which are now owned by
Cisco.

So 11mb/s wireless LAN access could soon be on the cards, which would be
particularly sweet.

Cheers,
TOM