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Most Palm OS devices don't integrate 802.11b Wi-Fi. And there are very few solutions to add this capability to these devices. One such solution is the Enfora WP802b portfolio for palmOne handhelds, which has the benefits of its own battery, but is bulky. A more attractive solution would be a Wi-Fi-enabled SDIO card that would fit into the Secure Digital slots found in most Palm PDAs.

The problem is, while there are Wi-Fi SD cards available, there are no drivers to support them on the Palm platform, making them only useful to Pocket PC users. SanDisk has promised such a driver for a while now, but nothing has come to pass. Another problem with the current Wi-Fi SDIO cards is that they draw too much power for Palm handhelds.

Well it looks like SanDisk is going to answer the prayers of some Palm OS device owners. That is, owners of palmOne's Zire 71. The company plans to release a new card that is different than the Wi-Fi card that SanDisk has been offering for the Pocket PC, as the one to be released for the Zire 71 uses even less power.

It looks like most of the Tungsten line won't be compatible with the new card because they still won't be able to handle the power draw. As for the newer Tungsten T3 and Zire 71, it appears a software patch is needed to make their SDIO card slot compatible with the Wi-Fi card. However, SanDisk can't deliver this patch on their own. It has to be delivered by palmOne. And it appears palmOne doesn't plan to offer a patch anytime soon.

In addition to the Zire 71, the new Wi-Fi card should be compatible with Windows mobile handhelds. Look for the new SanDisk Wi-Fi card by the end of the month for around $99.