You mentioned about users of Blackberry's "complain about sites they can't use"? Is that websites or physical sites in the city? Are they complaining there are places they can not get connected from, or just that there are many web sites that aren't designed to work with handheld devices? If the latter, that wouldn't apply so much for us, because we would design our application to accommodate access by the remote devices, but the former is very important to us. If too many of our remote locations can't get access, then there is little reason to bother with a remote solution.
You have mentioned a couple of times trying to set up access through land lines at any of our locations that we can. The trouble I see with that concept is that each specific location would only be visited a few times each year usually no more then once every two months. And we have several thousand of these drives each year, that would be a lot of contracts to keep up with..............
Hmmm, I just had an interesting idea.... If we had some kind a basic dial up/ppp internet access plan with one or more large ISPs such as Earth Link/AOL/Ect., I wonder how hard it would be to connect through any available phone line. We would need a list of access phones for each location and/or be willing to pay the long distance charges to connect to a centralized phone number. I wonder how hard it would be to enhance this with the addition of a Linksys type WiFi router that could be plugged into a handy land line that would then broadcast out to our coach so that one wouldn't have to run some long phone line out to the parking lot. How hard would it be to set up a situation like this for a few hours of operation? Especially since this would be done by staff with little to no technical skills. Interesting idea to add to the list.
--------------
Ian Skinner
Web Programmer
BloodSource
www.BloodSource.org
Sacramento, CA
-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Graeme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 7:27 AM
To: CF-Community
Subject: Re: Mobile Computing
>From your answers it sounds like the key is that it will all work over a
slow connection. Given that, I'd look into the options of either landline
modems or cellphone modems. What contracts and coverage are available? That
kind of thing. But I'd still probably plan a year's worth of locations and
see if any of them can hook you up while you're there.
I haven't played with a Blackberry, but I know people who have them. They
complain about sites that they can't use. And from my experience with
PocketPC internet access, it's more of a "in a pinch" option than the best
choice. Input is generally slow and cumbersome. But that's just my opinion.
I know a couple guys who would never give up their Blackberry for anything.
The Blackberry is "wireless" in the sense that it uses the digital cell
phone network and that is being referred to these days as wireless. Not to
be confused with 802.11x/WiFi type wireless.
-Kevin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Skinner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 8:19 AM
Subject: RE: Mobile Computing
> Kevin
>
> Thanks for your helpful information. To further the discussion...
>
> - How many computers/devices are you going to want to hook up at a
location?
>
> A> At the moment, it is one computer per location. But I could see
that growing as they come to expect more from the capabilities of remote
access.
>
> - Is the mobile blood drive being conducted from a truck or is it set up
at
> a local facility like a school, library, etc.?
>
> A> Both. We have 8 Coaches that are self-contained and can go nearly
anywhere with a 8-10 level parking spaces and nearby available restrooms.
But we also do inside setups at local facilities.
>
> - Do your intranet apps work adequately over a slow modem connection or is
> broadband necessary?
>
> A> Broadband should not be necessary. These are pretty straight
forward data access applications. Read/Add/Edit donor
contact/demographic/history data. We are only talking about several
hindered to a few thousand bytes of data. No where near a million bytes.
>
> - Are the intranet apps designed as web service type apps that could allow
> for easy alternate interfaces, or are they pretty much the one app as-is?
>
> A> They are not yet designed as web service apps, but could probably
be done so pretty easily.
>
>
>
>
> The power that be that request this study did so because he had heard of
Blackberry allowing this kind of access. Anybody have experience/critiques
of Blackberry's solutions? Does anybody know if they are wireless or
cellular or both? I haven't gotten a clear answer form their website yet.
>
> Thank You
>
> --------------
> Ian Skinner
> Web Programmer
> BloodSource
> www.BloodSource.org
> Sacramento, CA
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