Verizon EV-DO lets me blog damn near anywhere
I am blogging for the first time using my new Verizion EV-DO service, a 800 kps to 1.4 megabit per second service delivered through a cellular modem (provided). So for the same $59.99 per month that I now pay for Comcast I will get comparable speeds, anywhere in Verizon cell country. Comcast supposedly delivers higher speeds but as their customer for seven years or more I rarely if ever got that speed. When I shopped the Verizon store yesterday the values were unreal. I for four of the EV-DO cards, normally a $170 purchase, for the cost of the sales tax! So now all the adults in my family will have untethered access. I also got a rather simple cell phone (an LG, a South Korean make, I believe) and the two year contract for that service (as with the EV-DO) in this case for $40 (450 minutes). I got the phone and the Verizon service because both come highly recommended by Consumer Reports. There is a tiny tale with the phone decision. I had been using an ATT Tilt, one of these new-fangled all-in-one do anything devices. But the Web access (thru the Cingular network) was rage-inducing slow. So I cancelled that, and I did not try the GPS or the other fancy features so what was I left with — a costlty, heavy gadget that I could not easily use for calling in or out or even seeing what day and time it was! So that went back in the box. Now with the ED-VO service my plan is to get, as soon as money permits, the lighest full-function PC laptip (or a Mac, but they are now 2-times the cost of PCs!!!). I’m thinking the battery life is a key; also quick booting and travel ready. This way I carry the PC and the cell and I am in business everwhere that Verizon takes a signal. I am pleased. That I was able to get the type of service to fit my needs and at a price I can afford. Oh, did I forget to mention: I will register today for a price break on the Verizon service through my employer’s discount program. Sweet! But not as sweet as when I write Comcast to cancel their crappy and costly broadband that never delivered on its promise. I will try to be polite.
I love my EV-DO service with Verizon too, but I’d hold off on the accolades until you’ve had a chance to try it for a few weeks. It’s spotty. Sometimes it’s blazing fast, sometimes it’s not.
Still, there’s a lot to be said for on-the-go access. . .
Do be polite to the Comcast folks. You may be back, acting like the average American and spending more and more on separate communication services just to keep up with the trends. Sigh.
My EVDO service is excellent. I’ve used it all over the country and have rarely had any problems. Sure, some places are better than others, but if you think of all the nights I didn’t have to pay a hotel $15 for Internet access, I’m WAY ahead of the deal.
Charlotte knows me too well . . . It’s ALWAYS a good idea to leave ‘em smiling when you go . . . but I’m glad to hear Mike’s endorsement . . . I really can’t afford to swallow another bill for telecom
That sounds worth checking out – I’ll be interested to see how it works out.
I recently traveled from DC to New Orleans on Amtrak and with my laptop and EV-DO verizoned blackberry as my modem (an extra $15 a month for unlimited access and data) was able to connect to the internet the whole length of the journey, even (to my surprise) through a tunnel–albeit a short one. No problem watching the online videos I needed for research about NO, either. (Amtrak’s Viewliner trains running in the East have power outlets at every pair of seats, in case you wondered how my laptop battery lasted. And using the blackberry as a modem recharges its batteries at the same time.}
“….my plan is to get…the lighest full-function PC laptip (or a Mac, but they are now 2-times the cost of PCs!!!)”
From the ‘beat the dead horse’ department, I’m sure you’ll agree that a Geo Metro will get you where you wanna go just as a Jaguar will.
Not to beat the already rigormortis-ed horse of Mac vs. pee cee, but if you’re looking at Fisher-Price ‘puters, go take a look at the ASUS Eee pc: http://eeepc.asus.com/global/
…and for the true tree-hugger, there’s one made out of natural-fiber bamboo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071213/tc_nm/column_pluggedin_dc;_ylt=An58O.O7PGVpcsQp19GyHBZT.3QA
Please keep in mind that you *don’t* get what you *don’t* pay for!
If you spec out what you’re getting for a Mac, i.e. Processor Speed, Memory and functionality (Macs now run Vista and XP better than ANY PC I’ve seen) they are cheaper. That is, Price for Performance a Mac’s pricing beats PCs hands down.
To demonstrate, try to find a PC Notebook with the same specs as the MacBook Pro 15.4″ 2.4GHz processor for 1999. It simply won’t happen.