The chipmaker also sees a market in consumer electronics. Here, the technology might be used for wireless distribution of multimedia content, such as video or as a replacement for the cables that link devices. Products coming in the fall PC products should begin to appear in the fall, Bercow said. Atheros says its 5GHz chip package is ideal for use in PCs. That is because its radio will not interfere with Bluetooth or other similar wireless technologies operating on the 2.4GHz band, allowing a PC maker to offer Bluetooth and wireless LAN at the same time.
Critical mass remains a ways off, the company concedes.
Inevitably, I think, it will happen. The issue is with the state of the economy right now. But if the corporate market does not respond right away, Atheros might be able to make hay in consumer electronics. ZD Inc. All Rights Reserved. ZDNet and ZDNet logo are registered trademarks of ZD Inc. Content originally published in Ziff Davis Media publications is the copyrighted property of Ziff Davis Media.