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Software that supports collaboration (groupware) is rapidly gaining popularity, and many people wish to work together while using mobile computers. Mobile collaboration is made difficult by the characteristics of a wireless channel. The quality of a wireless connection can vary widely and is often of poor quality, characterized by low bandwidth and frequent disconnections.

Experiments with Calliope, a multi-user shared editor, indicate a number of application-level changes that allow more effective use of a wireless channel. Chief among these changes is the addition of adaptability, which allows the editor both to take full advantage of favorable network conditions and to handle difficult conditions as they occur. These experiments also indicate which network conditions are most relevant to groupware, information that will be used in a wireless network monitoring system that supports several types of adaptive applications.