Just caught this on a gadget segment on cnbc and it looks really, really cool.
The equipment is a small (deck of cards sized), battery powered device that links to the 3G network - cell-phone based network - and creates a local wifi network that extends to 30 feet around the device (it's secure of course).
So what does this allow the user to do? You can turn on the mifi unit (one button), put it in your pocket and connect to the Internet anywhere that you happen to be. Cool! You can connect from anywhere that a normal cell phone would work. The device allows up to 5 users to connect at the same time, so you can share (or sublet perhaps) your connection.
So what's the catch, you ask?
There are a few...
(1) Connection speed is slower as compared to my cable Internet that is currently at 15MB and soon to increase to 20MB. I think they said this devide could connect at 7.2MB, but not sure if that requires sitting on the cell tower. So it is slower, but not sure how noticeable that would be for me, unless I happened to be downloading a huge file of some kind.
(2) You need to have a connection plan for this unit similar to a cell phone. They are based on usage. $60/month will get you 5GB of data. $40/mo will get you 250MB of data. For occasional users, you can get service for $15/day (unlimited). They are offered by Verizon and others, so that affords some flexibility versus the iPhone.
So the question that I am trying to answer is this. If I can accept the 7.2MB connection speed, is 5GB enough capacity to support my family for the month? If so, I could offset the $60 fee by dropping my cable Internet service provider - netting almost even and freeing me to roam freely. This would be nice as finding free wifi signals where I live is difficult.
So the question that I am trying to answer is this. If I can accept the 7.2MB connection speed, is 5GB enough capacity to support my family for the month? If so, I could offset the $60 fee by dropping my cable Internet service provider - netting almost even and freeing me to roam freely. This would be nice as finding free wifi signals where I live is difficult.
Regarding usage limits, I have looked on-line and found conflicting pieces of information - some folks say that the 5GB limit would more than meet the average household needs, while others say that 5GB is ridiculously inadequate for a family that uses the Internet for almost anything (and they weren't including high usage families that download movies and music and photos all the time).
Not sure where I fit, so I downloaded a free usage monitor from CNET called BitMeter.
I only put this program on my laptop (which I used most of the time), so it will only be a rough estimate of how much capacity our family uses. From this information, I will need to add a factor for my office computer and the two laptops that we use for work (although those are mostly small e-mails).
So time will tell if this makes sense. I do love the idea of having my own portable wifi network that I can take anywhere. That'd be cool, especially if I get the ipod touch that I have been dreaming about for father's day. I also like the idea of freeing myself of the cable company as much as possible (bloodsuckers that they are).
UPDATE: I just checked a Bnet review of the device... they loved it, but it may not give me what I need. I will need to investigate further to tell for sure. The downer seems to be battery life... they claim only 2-3 hours, which could get more than a little annoying. You could plug it in while at home, but 2 hours won't even take me through a little league game. Bnet talks about switching out batteries, but the whole point for me is to travel very, light (not netbook light, ipod touch light). I suppose if I were going to buy a 3G modem for my laptop, I would consider this as it doesn't have to be connected to a laptop, but the technology might not be there just yet.
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