SWC-E100
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Sprint 4G dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX modems and handsets on tap
Hang tight to that Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard you snatched up as one of the few early adopters in Baltimore -- that thing could one day be a serious relic (or rare eBay find). Just over a year since launching the perplexedly named XOHM WiMAX service, Sprint has decided to rechristen the whole thing Sprint 4G after its workings with Clearwire. Reportedly, the carrier will be offering up dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX modems as early as the end of this year (at least in the Charm City), while similarly equipped handsets won't be too many months behind (just like we'd heard). Kinda hurts to know you can't add a CDMA radio into that WiMAX-only card you already purchased, huh? [Via phonescoop]
Samsung's SWC-E100 XOHM WiMAX ExpressCard gets reviewed
Now that Sprint's XOHM service is officially live in downtown Baltimore (and working in cars, phew!), how's about taking a look at the card that's handling the magic? Samsung's SWC-E100 ExpressCard, which was conveniently leaked by Sprint early last month, is a "simple, inexpensive" card that does a more-than-adequate job at placing you on the mobile broadband superhighway. Reviewers at PC Mag dubbed it a "solid first effort from Samsung for getting laptops onto Sprint's fast XOHM WiMAX network," and while the card "worked as advertised," the inability to work with EV-DO or any non-WiMAX protocol was sort of a downer. Furthermore, the card won't play nice with OS X and there's no external antenna port, but they do bundle a potentially important extra: a PC Card slot adapter for users with aging laptops. Bottom line? Not too shabby for $59.99 sans contract.
Sprint leaks XOHM WiMax service details and devices
A little URL hacking by Engadget fan Leo, has revealed Sprint's new My Xohm site and loads of service information. The site is clearly in a preparatory state with plenty of dead links and Latin dummy-text holding the pre-launch site format together. Nevertheless, there is quite a bit of detail here, some of which is certainly more than just idle filler. For example, based on the current text, we can expect the following at service launch in September: Nokia's N810 WiMAX Edition -- looks like a lock based on the liberal use of its image (above) across the pages. XOHM USB (ZTE's TU25) modem. XOHM Express Card (Samsung's SWC-E100) modem with optional PCMCIA adapter. XOHM Modem (ZyXel's MAX-206M2) Ethernet hub / router with optional 4-hour battery -- unfortunately, XOHM will not offer static IP addresses at this time. The XOHM portal (whatever that is) supports both Windows and OS X. However, the modems listed above and Sprint's XOHM Connection Manager software are PC-only, sorry Mac owners. Unfortunately, we can't find any specific pricing information but the site does tell us that access will be sold by the day or by the month without binding contracts or cancellation fees. It also promises speeds between 2-4Mbps for downloads and 1-3Mbps for uploads. Not sure that's worth the move to Baltimore but it's certainly given us cause to pause at the thought. See the modems pictured after the break.[Thanks, Leo S.]Read -- General Support FAQRead -- Pricing and SpeedRead -- My XohmRead -- Devices
