How useful is the mobile Internet?

I would not say that is making the quality of ones life better, far from it in fact.

My brothers wife has just divorced him because he was always on his mobile internet while at home, in this way he was not taking much notice of his wifes needs!

So from me it gets the thumb down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spencer.

Well, I work in the industry so I may be biased.

I think it is like any other connection means. It is all in how you use it.

As a high speed connection for a PC or laptop, it is great. You can connect from just about anywhere, at least anywhere the service you subscribe to is available. On a small device, like a PDA or cell phone, it is less useful for me, unless a specific application, like a GPS/navigation/location app, is developed for that environment.

So, in order to adequately answer the questions, you have to look at two factors: the device you are going to use and the environment you are going to be in.

Devices can be PC/laptops or handheld devices. like I mentioned before, they seem to be useful only when specific applications are developed for them. I use my Treo for e-mail. I rarely ever use the web browser on it. Going to a page designed for a full screen on PC is generally not fun on a 2 inch x 2 inch screen. But the e-mail and Google maps are fine. Of course Google maps requires a lot of scrolling around, so I generally prepare in advance by printing directions.

The environment that you will use the device in will be static, portable or mobile. Static is like your desktop at home or work. If you have wireless coverage, then it is simply a matter of comparing throughput and cost and determining which is best for you there: cable, DSL or high speed wireless. Portable environments are WiFi hotspots. Here you take your device, such as a laptop to the location, connect via WiFi and shut down when you leave the area -- in part because you lose the connection when you get a few hundred feet away. Asa mobile user, you can connect from just a bout anyplace. Where ever you get the signal, you can connect.

So, for each of us, it will always be a matter of choosing the device and environment based on what we need to do and what we have to do it on: environment and device.

Personally, I do NOT want to be always connected. For work, there is a certain convenience in being able to connect from wherever I happen to be, but when I am not working, I like to be able to turn the devices off.

But that is a subject that has been discussed in depth in another forum.

At this moment, my mobile air card, by Altell is Extremely Valuable as the Hurricane that By-Passed New Orleans, seemed to settle in Arkansas, (just when all of our Power Company employees had left the state to restore power in South Lousianna)

We now have 90,000 customers of Entergy, out of power in Arkansas, with NO crews to fix anything here... HELP....

Thank God for the tiny generator we bought a few years ago, or all of our food would already be spoiled...

Most of my business in done via the NET, so I would have to give two thumbs UP to the Mobile air card...

Donald

In my industry, we are using the net to tap in when we as firefighters / EMT's are responding to our respective stations, and when we go enroute to the situation. This system enables the on scene duty officer to know resources, both mechanical and manpower wise is responding or staging in a stand-by mode. We also use the net to get into our chemical manuals for hazardous materials issues, of which saves a lot of time when looking at weather conditions, situational problems such as terrain, wind speed, rain, run-off, evacuation distances, what we can do and what we certainly shouldn't do in the effort to stop the problem from getting worse. We use our cell's when we need to contact individual units or personnel without tying up a radio frequency, and enables us to have some privacy where required. Wi-Fi spots are available in our community so that helps on the mobile computers. We are in the process of upgrading our staff vehicles only at this time to take advantage of this communications system, but in the near future we could see the same computer systems on line in our first out trucks and rescues.

Hi twisted piston,

Quite so, but people should remember that the internet is only a useful tool as is the spanner to a car mechanic, or the theodolite to an architect, but you don't see a car mechanic or architect that is always using his tools while at home!

I do not know what it is like in the US, but here in the UK thousands of tired and stressed males are taking their work home with them via the computer, this has caused a higher percentage of divorce than ever before!

Their poor neglected wives have taken to go out alone in the evening with the intent of meeting a working class male (car mechanic, foundry worker, etc, etc) who does not take his work home with him. I do not condone their behaviour, but I can at least understand them!?!?

Spencer.

hello all,

i use a wireless broadband for my laptop. at home i have line of site to a tower, so reception is great. away from home, as long as my cell phone has a signal, so does my laptop. cost is $60 per month for 5 gig of data. i don't do (online) downloads or watch videos, or play games, so my usage is actually about 1 gig per month. that is using the internet as much as i want. the service i use (also my isp) really slams you if you go over 5 gig. the 5 gig is at $12.50 per gig. the overcharge is $0.50 per meg. so the overcharge is $500 per gig. it can really surprise you when you go over, but you can monitor your usage at any time. overall, i am quite happy, and will never go back to any other old way.