I’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of SDIO Wi-Fi cards. A Palm handheld is so much more useful when it can talk on the Internet. My handheld already has all the software I would need to be productive on the ‘net. All it needs is a way to get access.

When I learned that SyChip was testing reference implementations of a Wi-Fi card, I was thrilled. The card, slightly larger than a postage stamp, would plug into the top of my m515 (and most newer handhelds) and let me connect via my Linksys wireless access point. Once connected, I could surf the web with AvantGo, HotSync, check my e-mail with Eudora, and even control my notebook computer anywhere in the house with PalmVNC.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Well, the bad news is that SyChip’s first major reseller, SanDisk, has been pushing the release date back ever since the initial announcement, from the second quarter of 2003, to June, and now to July, with Palm OS drivers available in Fall.

I suppose I should be optimistic, seeing that the latest announcement is the first mention of the card that SanDisk has made on its web site.