HotSpots here, HotSpots there, HotSpots everywhere. It seems every time you turn around another company has either announced plans or are in the process of implementing W-iFi or wireless fidelity (802.11) broadband Internet access publicly.

HotSpots are no longer reserved for places like Starbucks, Borders and airports, as even McDonalds and most recently Kampgrounds of America plan to offer 802.11 wireless access. This just goes to show the variety of places consumers can get their W-iFi fix. Soon you'll be able to not just drink coffee, eat croissants and read books and magazines while you speedily surf the Web from a notebook or PDA, but have a hamburger and roast marshmallows too.

Never mind that many of these access points require you to pay or sign up for a subscription. The fact that they are becoming more ubiquitous demonstrates the growing popularity and convenience of mobile high-speed Internet access. (For a comprehensive list of HotSpots near you, check out internet.com's 80211hotspots.com.)

Throw in the fact that many enterprises have implemented W-iFi access points and the increased penetration of 802.11, most likely 802.11b, but increasingly backwards compatible 802.11g, routers at home, and you've got a compelling reason to consider W-iFi as an essential feature for your current or future PDA.

In this article, we'll survey the current crop of Pocket PC and Palm OS PDAs that integrate W-iFi and go over some of the add-on options available to W-iFi-enable a handheld that doesn't have 802.11 internally.

Pocket PC Handhelds & W-iFi Add-On Options

Palm OS Handhelds & W-iFi Add-On Options