goals and solve those problems. For example, when I'm picking up freight
requiring multiple deliveries, I've got to load it so the last product on is the
first product off. But I've also got to load it so each set of axles is weighted in
accordance with laws and standards. The first order of business is to get
loaded; but how do you decide what part of the problem to tackle first?
Defining your primary purpose
I'm going to guess that at least one reason (likely the primary reason) you're
interested in Wi-Fi is that you want to connect to the Internet from the quiet
and comfort of your truck or RV. You want to browse the Web, send and
receive e-mail, or conduct business without the noise and distraction of
a coffeehouse or restaurant.
So, if that's the case (I'll go out on a limb and assume it is), then your primary
goal is to connect to the Internet, from nearly anywhere, minus the quarter-
mile of telephone cord. Yeah, that was my main goal, too -- but a few other
qualifying factors also enter into consideration. Those pesky industry stan-
dards, for example. . . .
Identifying secondary goals
A tale from days of old -- before personal computers (hard to believe, isn't
it?) -- shows how technology standards can influence your goals. Back when
home video was just starting to catch on, two competing standards fought to
dominate the videocassette market: Beta and VHS. Beta produced higher-quality
images than VHS, but VHS became the most widely accepted standard -- for
reasons that had nothing to do with image quality.
Both VHS and Beta fulfilled the primary purpose -- transferring video to
tape -- but as VHS became more common, producers stopped putting out
Beta versions of their movies. It was far more likely, then inevitable, that any-
thing you rented, borrowed, bought, or lent would be VHS. Beta (with its high
quality) was doomed. At that point, secondary considerations influenced the
choice between Beta and VHS: You had to put up with somewhat lower video
quality to have home video at all, because VHS was available and compatible
with most equipment on the market.
Okay, back to the future (that is, now): As wireless-connection equipment
crops up everywhere, standards are all over the map -- and going through
their own struggle for dominance. So here are a couple of questions you'll
want to answer for yourself as you settle on a Wi-Fi standard:
Part I: The Wonderful World of Wireless Fidelity
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