xMax

WiFi was wireless but not broadband, and not large area. Broadband over power lines was broadband but not wireless. WiMax was both: wireless and broadband. And today I read about xMax. It is wireless broadband without the WiMax hassles, it seems like. It looks like power to the people to the power of x. This is delightful. This is real good news. The basic thrust is towards wireless broadband. For a city in a wireless broadband soup, cellphones should become free. Cellphones that are ad-based. This is a brave, new world.

• XMax aims to spark low-power wireless revolution Globe and Mail, Canada
• xMax ™ Demonstration Sets Higher Bar for Broadband ClickPress (press release), United Arab Emirates
• Could xMax change the world of broadband? ZDNet UK, UK
• xMax sparks low power wireless revolution Techworld.com, UK
• XMax in pictures ZDNet UK, UK
• xMax - is it real? Techworld.com, UK
• xMax's First Long-Range Field Test A Success LinuxElectrons, TX
• XG Technology conducts first public demonstration of xMAX MRT (subscription), IL
• New Broadband Standards Set CCN Magazine, CA
• First public demo of 'disruptive' wireless broadband ZDNet UK, UK

Free Wireless Broadband, Reenergized Microsoft

• Google begins limited test of Wi-Fi service Reuters ...... "....the company was considering building a U.S. broadband network capable of targeting specific advertising to users based on the location of their Wi-Fi..."
• Microsoft Corp. reorganizes to compete better with Google, Yahoo Canadian Business

I had been thinking municipality provided wireless broadband. But Google has trumped me on that one. It has come up with an even better idea. Google provided nationwide wireless broadband. All the user have to do is download a Google toolbar onto their laptops in return. If that were to materialize, Google would grow even more like it were a hot startup. Kudos.

Bill Gates complained during the whole anti-trust legal fiasco that instead of competing with him on products, his competitors were taking him to court. Now he does not have to say that no more. Google is competition. Big G should be happy.



I think he had the option in 1995 to take the lead when a school of thought emerged within Microsoft that company should move from being Windows-centric to being browser-centric. Gates missed that boat. It is said if you learn Newton's theory of gravity too well, that actually prevents you from coming to grips with Einstein's theory of gravity.

Microsoft now has taken a step in the right direction, but it is still hesitant. Software should be online, free and ad-based. That is the leap Google is making and Microsoft is not. That is why Microsoft is not Google.