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jasondebiak · Feb 28, 2006, 01:16 PM

Hey everyone. This might be a stupid question, who knows? But I've noticed cell phone companies like Cingular (AT&T) coming out with boradband internet/data services where you can access the internet pretty much from anywhere on your laptop:

http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cel...svl=2840200012

I was wondering if anyone has anything like this for their Powerbook, or if anyone knows if it will even work on a Powerbook! Im leaving on a cross country expedition and am trying to find the best way possible to be connected to the internet as much as possible.

inkhead · Feb 28, 2006, 01:23 PM

yes it's very simple, get the data cable, aka USB cable to hook your phone to your computer. I use it everyday. I hook my verizon razr v3c directly to my powerbook to use the high speed ev-do. You can also do it over bluetooth but that is totally lame, and SUPER slow.

Direct USB connection to a supporting phone is best. And dont' use cingular, they are light years behind in broadband through phone. It sucks on it's best days.

inkhead · Feb 28, 2006, 01:26 PM

Verizon is the best you can get, I use it all the time.

1 ) Get a Phone with EV-DO support from verizon
2) get the mobile office kit from verizon (which is really just a data cable for your phone)

This is the best way to go rather than the PC card solutions they sell, and less hassle with drivers. You then signup for the $59.99 unlimited data plan and ev-do service to you computer is activated. Then you use internet connection to dial-out. (i can walk you through it.)

You can cancel the ev-do service anytime you want.

I get 800k/sec almost everywhere I go. It rocks. For DNS servers i recommend using something other than verizons to help speed up latency.

ybalx · Feb 28, 2006, 01:28 PM

Even though its not broadband (yet) I use a Treo 650 via bluetooth connection with Dial Up Networking on my PB all the time. Sure its slower than broadband, but its not really that bad.

jasondebiak · Feb 28, 2006, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by inkhead

yes it's very simple, get the data cable, aka USB cable to hook your phone to your computer. I use it everyday. I hook my verizon razr v3c directly to my powerbook to use the high speed ev-do. You can also do it over bluetooth but that is totally lame, and SUPER slow.

Direct USB connection to a supporting phone is best. And dont' use cingular, they are light years behind in broadband through phone. It sucks on it's best days.

thanks so much! I sadly have a t-mobile sidekick, so I cant connect to the internet through my phone. I noticed on some of the sites, they hace PC-cards that you can put into your laptop to connect to the net. Do you happen to know if any of these cards are compatible with Apple? I'd love to go down the same route as you, but just don't want to have to go get a whole new phone if I could maybe just get some sort of data plan.

Bandit240 · Feb 28, 2006, 03:23 PM

About what are the costs of this? I live in a place where dialup is the only way to go, but cell towers are all around. Ive got a PB1ghz 12''. Could you do internet sharing with this to get 2 laptops online at once?

HarriganC · Feb 28, 2006, 04:22 PM

Although "lame," from what I have read the max speeds people are getting from VZW phones are 1x, so no loss in speed when using bluetooth. For convenience, I use bluetooth to connect to my LG 9800 rather can carry around an extra capable. Speeds are equivalent to a 56k modem.

CH

HarriganC · Feb 28, 2006, 04:23 PM

Although "lame," from what I have read the max speeds people are getting from VZW phones are 1x, so no loss in speed when using bluetooth. For convenience, I use bluetooth to connect to my LG 9800 rather can carry around an extra capable. Speeds are equivalent to a 56k modem.

CH

buddy1065 · 06:09 PM

I've had Verizon card for over a year. Until the express card for the Macbook pro comes out for EVDO I will stick with my 17".

http://homepage.mac.com/bhardy3/PhotoAlbum34.html

As to speed I can watch the CCTV- China link at broadband speed with no problem; looks like I an watching a portable TV. But I use my Sony 10.6" for that stuff, as it is much more portable. The Kyocera KPC650 is the high end PC card most go for. Cingular's HSPDA is only available in certain areas but you may want to check rhat out.

http://mediahopper.com/portal.htm

If Bluetooth can run streaming video like that I would be very interested.