does anyone here use this technology in their laptop or know anyone, and what in your opinion is the best deal?

and roughly how does it work?

 

I`m thinking of getting Anywhere Internet for my laptop, and am looking at either PCMCIA cards or a USB dongle to do this with, I`m leaning towards the PCMCIA as there`s little in way of sticky-outy bits that can break off.

 

as far as I can tell the card works like a modem using most of the Active bits found inside a mobile phone, and you need to stick a SIM card in it.

 

beyond that I`m totally lost:confused:

 

anyone?

My best mate has a dell mini 9 (ubuntu) with an o2 3g device.

 

I also use it on my phone...

 

You're pretty much there, there's several different types of phone network in the UK now.

 

HSDPA, 3g, EDGE and GPRS are the main ones. In order of speed fastest to slowest

 

Coverage is not perfect on HSDPA or 3g, EDGE is in most places I've found.

 

So what you need it a SIM from one of the phone networks for use for this, as most of them will get pisy if you use a normal phone sim for LOADS of data. With my phone my unlimited internet doesn't count if I connect my laptop to it... All the networks offer different deals, but the coverage varies, if you know where you want to use it try and find a friend with a 3g phone and see if they get 3g signal in the areas around where you want it.

 

Another friend has 3 3g on a laptop and he can only access the net in a corner of his kitchen in his flat...

I was thinking of Voda, as there`s an antenna about 250metres away, and my mate gets great reception from it and all the other places in the midlands he goes to.

 

how do you top-up the sims?

can you buy those scratch card thingies for them?

It might not be a 3g antenna (I know of a friend who can see the mast and still only gets GPRS)....

 

if it's a pay and go sim you top up with an e-topup type card, so in a shop you take in a card and swipe it, online or in cash machines. Or the scratch card things, but I don't know how you'd enter the code... I'd imagine they've thought this through, check the providers websites, and go ask in carphonewarehouse, even if you don't buy there they tend to have a good idea of what's avaliable.

 

The SIM will have a phone number associated with it and depending on the software you have on the computer might be able to make/receive phone calls.

I just use my phone... it has 3G, and I have a program to tether to my computer via WiFi