Wireless mobile internet

[WTL]

I figured I'd enlist the aid of the board real quick, certainly there are some tech junkies out there somewhere.

I want to be more mobile, you know have access to the net when I am traveling and such. I was looking at the iphone, but its still just a phone, if I had my druthers I would want to be able to connect to the same wireless national networks through my laptop - then possibly drop my home internet and cable (dont watch much tv) through comcast so that I dont end up paying more.

Does anyone know about these wireless laptop deals? How much time would I get on the net? How good are the networks? Expenses? Would it be viable to get on say the sprint network and drop comcast?

[Bender]

Get a Blackberry, but if you are on AT&T wait for the Bold to come out. If you are on Verizon then they already have the EVDO network. You can tether it to a computer (for an additional fee) and use it to get on their moderately fast network, speed depends on where you are.
I have an iphone right now and absolutely hate it. Dropped calls all the time, very slow internet, poor email integration, Safari crashes, cannot tether it for use as a modem, etc. It is a decent MP3 player I guess.
I will be going back to Blackberry when the Bold comes out soon.
http://www.blackberry.com/select/blackberrybold/
Edit: If you are on Verizon let me know, I still have my old 8830 World Phone that I don't need and would sell for a very reasonable price.

[MrPhotographer06]

i recomend the blackberry or the palm..

both are good i have friends with both.. if your laptop'ed and have verizon they have a good wireless rate for nationwide

[WTL]

Right now I have cingular with a motorrola l6 - its a peice of garbage but its cheap.


I look at it like this. I have an ipod. I have a laptop. I have an old gps reciever. I have a cell phone on my families plan so its only like 10 bucks a month extra. I'm not gabby. Why pay 70 something a month plus 199$ for an iphone only to get internet on a little bitty thing.

What I would prefer is to keep the cell plan I have now - get an older nokia phone to replace the garbage motorola - discontinue my cable TV and internet - and maybe use the money I would have for cable tv and internet for some sort of mobile wireless for my laptop that I could use as my primary internet connection. That would be the best situation I think, or possibly something that would allow me to dock a phone that was capable of internet on my laptop as a modem.

[Jim80]

wtl you can go iphone without and get everything you need . the new version of the phone runs on the 3g net work which pretty much give you dsl speed on your phone . if you do decide to get on pm me and i will get you all the info to unlock the phone and the the good programs on it , and the blackberry would be my second choice , but you can't go wrong with apple . also the new ipod touch gets the same internet that the phone does through wifi you can get email and all plus more storage space for other stuff .

[Crank-Bait-Frank]

I use Verision wireless broadband ($56 dollars a month)for personal and job site work, my laptopand cell phone are always with me. I'm totally mobile! Not to mention a couple of $$ slipped to the cable guy and I have free cable!
Life is good!!

[Jim80]

i have a buddie up here that works for the cable company as well and if i didn't get my phone and internet from them i would have free cable to but you pick and choose right

[WTL]

Frank, I looked at the Verizon plan and thats not too bad; I pay Comcast 45 for the net right now anyway. I see thats for 5 gb a month, do you find that to be enough? Is there a way to find out how much I use?

[Jim80]

how much do you download on average ? any music or stuff like that , if you go to the comcast home page and look through your account details it should tell you how many gigs you have used this month .

[WTL]

Lots and lots of music, torrents, movies, netflix.

Of course right now I work at a hotel with a wireless, when I want to download I can use their network. But I dont plan on being at this place much longer at all.

[Jim80]

with the music look at how much your average download is , i would burn 5 gigs in two nights but if you use other networks you should be ok just leave the torrents alone when on the verizon card and who in our age group really plans on the job they have i'm always in the market so to speak .

[joecnc2006]

i have the HTC Mogal (ppc6800) and use garmin GPS with inland lakes on it for the contouring of the lakes in the US also set waypoints. I have the Phone loaded with features i downloaded and installed. mp3 movies etc. I have a 8gig card in mine.

its a pocket PC windows mobile 6.1

Joe

[Crank-Bait-Frank]

Originally Posted by WTL

Frank, I looked at the Verizon plan and thats not too bad; I pay Comcast 45 for the net right now anyway. I see thats for 5 gb a month, do you find that to be enough? Is there a way to find out how much I use?

WTL when I get back to my apt. I look at the billing statement and check the usage. I've never had any problems with downloading shop prints or directives on demand to show project owners.
I'll let you know later this evening.

CBF