New-economy professionals desperate to make their products sound irresistible often resort to the buzz phrase 'on steroids'. For example, MMS (multimedia messaging services) is SMS (short message service) on steroids, ultra-wideband is Bluetooth on steroids and the Intel personal server a kind of iPod on steroids.
Why the s-word has become so trendy beats me. After all, it means an organic fat-soluble compound that turns people into gorillas. Consequently, I place more trust in a product described as being on crack cocaine, or even the Atkins diet.
Therefore, when I first encountered a networking newcomer called WiMAX, which is routinely described as 'Wi-fi on steroids', I was wary. But it might just catch on - the WiMAX Forum, which was founded to make it happen, now has firms such as AOL Time Warner, Lucent Technologies, Cisco Systems and Huawei Technologies on board. So let's explore the roots of a phenomenon, which has nothing to do with elasticated waistbands or large cinema screens.
WiMAX is the sister of Wi-fi (wireless fidelity). Also known by Klingons as 802.11b, this protocol enables mobile-device users to beam files to each other and surf the Net wirelessly.
The range, up to about 60 metres, is not bad, given that, to make two devices tango via less-with-it infrared technology, you need to grind their ports together and roar: 'Beam it! Beam the message.' And with its 10-metre range, Bluetooth is only a little less painful to use than infrared.
WiMAX easily eclipses all three alternatives. Its range of up to 50km means you could theoretically communicate with anyone anywhere from Lowu to Lamma.