Upgrading from EDGE to HSDPA

Has anyone tried to disassemble their Sony VGN-SZ series laptop to see if it's possible to upgrade the EDGE wireless with an HSDPA mini-PCIExpress card? I've seen a thread where someone asked about upgrading to Bluetooth and Sony parts does have a module available from their parts store for that even though it's supposedly just a chip:

http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/we...archOperation=modelSearch&searchText=vgnsz270

I know there are HSDPA mini PCIExpress cards out there for North America:

http://novatelwireless.com/products/expedite/eu730.html

The question is if this card can be used in a Sony VGN-SZ series laptop or if the EDGE is just a chip too. I didn't see a module for sale on Sony's parts store for an EDGE card so it may just be built-in.

If the answer is yes, the upgrade card will work, the next question is if it'll work with Sony's wireless switch and SmartWi function key/software.

I've upgraded my Cingular Communications Manager software to the latest version from Cingular's website and it actually broke Sony's SmartWi program. It no longer calls the Cingular Communication Manager application anymore when WWAN is enabled. It has to be run manually from the Start menu once the module is enable and the WWAN indicator light shows on the laptop.

 

i've asked this questions like 6 times in different threads and have not gotten an answer

 

I put in an email request in with Sony parts to see if they could come up with an EDGE module but I doubt that I'll get a response.

 

HSDPA is software upgradeable on phones which support it. Does the SZ 'support' it?

How is Smart Wi different from EDGE?

 

I dunno. Can you get me in touch with anyone from Sony tech support who knows anything about their laptops other than what they can read off of their prescripted screens?

Smart Wi is the software package that allows you to turn on the various wireless modules. Without this software package, the function key doesn't work.

 

Err upgrading from EDGE to UMTS isnt possible on the same card so its not a software upgrade. You need to get a UMTS or HSDPA card that operates on the 850mhz frequency using WCDMA Which is what they use in america. Careful you get the right one because some of them dont support all bands. I just baught a PCMCIA Sierra 860 only to find it only runs UMTS on 850 and 1900 mhz bands while Australia uses 2100 for its UMTS (with the exception of one overpriced Telco)

 

Every country in the world so far use UMTS 2100Mhz except the US and Australia (Telstra) which are using UMTS 850MHz

 

I never got a response from Sony parts. I'm just trying to figure out if the EDGE card is part of the motherboard or a module that can be interchanged... :-(

 

Well heres the deal. The edge card in the SZ330P/B, according to the FCC website, is a daughter card. I am not sure if there is an open pcix mini slot. If there is, you could just remove the daughter card and use a mini card. Otherwise if sony releases a laptop with HSDPA maybe then you could use the daughter card from it.

 

That's awesome that you can look that up on the FCC website. How do you do that? Does the FCC website mention where the daughter card is in the laptop so I don't have to dismantle the entire laptop to find it?

I'm hoping this will fit:

http://www.novatelwireless.com/products/expedite/eu730.html

As far as I know, Dell is the only one retailing them at:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz&sku=430-1656

and

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=313-4189