Last year, analysts said, the wireless Web would really take off. It was to be the Second Coming of the Internet. This year, disillusionment has set in. The reality of the wireless Web has proved less than compelling. The equipment is hard to figure out.
Connections keep getting cut.
Tiny cellphone screens make Web surfing frustrating. Once-free services suddenly cost money. And you still need those pesky wires to charge the darned things. Some business travelers find it useful, but most Americans have yet to conclude that the wireless Web is anything but costly, complex, and downright useless. That's bad news for the companies and investors who continue to pour billions into wireless technology and infrastructure.