Samsung To Ship MIMO Wireless Laptop

MIMO eventually will be part of the 802.11n standard, which isn't expected to be ratified for another couple of years. However, routers and add-in cards already are available with pre-standard MIMO technology. The Samsung X20 laptops will use MIMO technology from Airgo Networks, which also is used by a number of WLAN vendors such as Linksys, the companies said in a statement.

Reviews have found that MIMO provides faster coverage and greater range. Samsung said it selected Airgo's technology, which goes by the trade name True MIMO, because it claimed it provides the best performance.

"Given their significant technology lead, Airgo's True MIMO is the best fit for embedded wireless in our new high-performance Samsung X20 laptops," K.H. Uhm, Samsung's vice president of marketing, said in a statement.

The laptops are being shown this week at the Computex trade show in Taipei. The companies provided no details about availability and pricing.