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l008com · Mar 29, 2001, 12:14 AM

So teh new ti books come with 4 Mbps irfrared communication, besides the airport, does anyone make any MAC COMPATIBLE IrDA systems for Mac that are no built in (like plug into USBor even better etherent) and can communicat at 4 Mbps and are not all that expensive?

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tonton · Mar 29, 2001, 04:46 AM

You can network with another TiBook...

I think the Nokia Phones use High-speed IRDA.

I don't see what more anyone would need from an IRDA port besides connecting to a mobile phone while on the road.

I just had a thought. Maybe someone could hack the Mac to send out an IRDA video signal compatible with Sony's LaserLink. Anyone know what compression scheme and frequency Sony uses? That would be awesome!!! An infrared connection to your TV!!! Sony's cameras can do it, so why shouldn't a computer be able to do it? Can the Vaio display video this way?

l008com · Mar 29, 2001, 06:07 PM

I am talking about networking/file sharing here. WIreless IR networking for older macs, cheaper than airport.

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Mar 30, 2001, 12:22 AM

The reason iRDa is cheaper than Airport is because the effective range is only about 36 inches - that's real useful. :-}

What people haven't mentioned is the HP printers with iR ports - printing works really well. Also, you can sync your Palm via iR, and it's a lot faster than serial...

finboy · Mar 30, 2001, 06:45 PM

David:
Can you repost with specifics on how you set up the IrDA to print with an HP laser with IrDA? And for setting up PalmDesktop to synch with IrDA?

I've never been sure whether that would work or not, but I'm glad to hear those things work for you. Please, tell us how.

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Feathers · Mar 30, 2001, 07:57 PM

Doesn't the Handspring Visor use IrDA?

Mar 31, 2001, 12:02 AM

finboy: here's a good little IR syncing tutorial
http://www.pbzone.com/palmsync.shtml

As far as printing, just find your Desktop Printer Utility (usually in your Utilities folder) and pick Infrared for the port.

Feathers: yes, the Visor has IR too, but doesn't include the IR software. You need to get a 3rd party IR utility like Beamsync:
http://www.palmgear.com/software/sho...mp;prodID=8583

l008com · Mar 31, 2001, 10:13 AM

you guys are missing the point, how can i use IRdA to fileshare two desktops?

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Mar 31, 2001, 10:26 PM

You're right, I am missing the point. If both machines have Ethernet, why would you want to hook up an iRDa tranceiver to both rather than just connecting them with an Ethernet cable? Since the irDa range is only about 36 inches and it's slower than 10baseT, I just don't understand what you're trying to accomplish...maybe you can explain further...

l008com · Apr 1, 2001, 12:14 AM

Why does it matter why? you use airport when the computers are in teh same room, when you could use built in 100 base. I need wireless, and i want a cheaper alternative to airport, the 'tagets' aren't going to be that far apart when in use. And you can stop repeating the number 36. I've seen IR networkign devices for older macs that use serial ports, you just point them both towards the ceiling and you can LocalTalk any computers in the same room. Basically i need something like that that plugs into the ethernet port, and gets the IrDA standard 4 Mbps, if not faster.

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Apr 1, 2001, 06:57 PM

Actually, if I'm in the same room I *do* cable up rather than use my Airport - copper is still faster.

Farallon made the IR/serial transceivers - I think they called them AirDocks. I'm not sure if they still make them, but maybe you could mate them up with a serial/USB adapter, or possibly a serial/Ethernet bridge like they use for printers. I've never seen IR/Ethernet transceivers...

What about HomePNA (I think that's what it's called). Wireless and cheaper than Airport, but i think it maxes out at 1.6 mbps or something close to that, still slower than iRDa...

l008com · Apr 1, 2001, 07:14 PM

Serial ports are only 112kpbs at most, slowest of all.

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l008com · Apr 1, 2001, 07:23 PM

HomePNA has 1 and 10 Mbps speeds, but i need something wireless

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finboy · Apr 1, 2001, 08:41 PM

AirDock still uses Localtalk, so it won't work through a serial-USB adapter.

D: Thanks for the tutorial references. I wasn't sure you could do all that stuff, print especially (I didn't think the HP would recognize MAC IrDA). I'll check them out ASAP.

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Apr 3, 2001, 01:49 AM

Then HomePNA isn't what I was thinking...I've seen a wireless solution that's not 802.11b, looked pretty proprietary but was cheaper than Airport...Symphony maybe? Just something I spied at Fry's...no idea if they have Mac drivers...what about Bluetooth? Aren't there some cards coming out for that pretty soon?

gmattheis · Apr 3, 2001, 09:09 AM

aren't the etherports on the new TIBooks autosensing as well, so you don't even need an ether cross-over cable, just any old patch will do it?

finboy · Apr 3, 2001, 11:23 AM

G:
That's true. But I think you may have to be hooked to another auto-sensing machine to use that feature. Or maybe you have to start the newer machine slightly ahead of the other so the older machine sees a crossover cable.

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