Dell has launched the Dell 1500 Draft 802.11n dual-band wireless card today and will make it available in selected XPS hybrids and Inspiron notebooks. The Dell 1500 is able to offer an amazing performance jump when connected to a complimenting Intensi-fi equipped router, capable of a maximum data transfer rate of 270Mbps. That is roughly 5 times faster than existing 802.11g-based notebooks that top out at 54Mbps. It is also backwards compatible with 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a wireless standards in order not to alienate its customers. The Dell 1500 Draft 802.11n dual-band wireless card will retail for $59 and comes with a Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) antenna system. Early tests show a rather unstable performance where the wireless connection is dropped altogether. Since the Dell 1500 Wireless Card is based upon Broadcom Intensi-fi technology, its firmware can be upgraded when the final 802.11n specifications are released.
Pros : Backwards compatible, extremely fast
Cons : Spotty performance
Dell unveils 802.11n Draft Wireless Notebook Card Source
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