SanDisk will at long last be releasing a an SD Wi-Fi card for Palm OS. Unfortunately, it will work only on the Zire 71, not the Tungsten line.
SanDisk has confirmed that it will be releasing a Secure Digital Wi-Fi card for the palmOne Zire 71 at the end of the month, but it will not be compatible with other models of Palm OS handhelds or communicators.
 | Low-power for the Zire 71, but no other Palms
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The new card uses a newer low-power design that brings it within the power specs of the SDIO slot present on the palmOne Zire 71. However, the palmOne Tungsten line use lower-power SDIO slots that are unfortunately not rated for the power draw of the new card.
Although in theory the card should work with the Zire 72 as well, there are differences in the software implementation on the Zire 71 and Zire 72 that prevent the new card from working. The fix wil require a software patch to fix, however, palmOne has to date been reluctant to release such a patch. Some speculate that palmOne is planning to release its own Wi-Fi SDIO card sometime in the future and are planning to roll the patch into their own driver, but that is not confirmed.
The new SanDisk card will work with the Zire 71, as well as SDIO-capable Windows Mobile handhelds. As it uses a lower-power design than previous cards, it should also improve battery life while the card is in use as well.
The SanDisk low-power Wi-Fi SD card is expected to be available by the end of June, and retail for $99 USD.
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