Tablet regret?
 

Hi, I bought an N800 about a month ago, and I have to say. When I have an internet connection; it's everything I can ask for, and more. However, in my experience with it, there haven't been many internet connections around. So, right now, I'm sorta stuck in a dilemma. I'm wondering if it would be more economical to try and sell the N800 and use the money toward a phone that can have a data plan (thus a constant availability of connections) like maybe the openmoko; or if I should instead by a cheap phone to use for the data plan and use bluetooth for access for the N800. How do all of you manage to stay connected on your tablets?

Re: Tablet regret?
 

I've been thinking about getting one of those usb cell-plan internet cards. My boss got one with her Verizon plan - they threw it in as part if the plan. She uses it with her Windoze laptop.

I'd have to upgrade my Alltel plan to the Internet option; about $100.00/month.

Does anyone know if those usb cell thingies will work with my n810 or an n800?

Steve

Re: Tablet regret?
 

There's a couple of threads on this. One guy got his working with his tablet a couple weeks back :)

The main problem is lack of open-source drivers than can be compiled for the tablets and the secondary problem is that they all require powered USB.

I think tethering to a bluetooth phone is probably much easier :)

Also, @cactuar - Have you looked into BOOST mobile? They offer a $70 dollar a month unlimited internet/calling/texting/data that I'm seriously tempted by :)

Re: Tablet regret?
 

$70 a month?! Are all data plans that expensive? If they are... that's definitely not attractive...

Re: Tablet regret?
 

I tether to my LG enV2 on Verizon for $15/mo. It works pretty well, but it's Rev.0 EVDO. Rev.A is significantly faster but is only available on a few phones (notably, the LG Dare and a few smart phones). Still, 500 kbps down / 100 kbps up is pretty good for the price. The enV2 was free.

Re: Tablet regret?
 

Get a Sprint SERO plan, $30 a month for 500 minutes, unlimited internet, texting, nights nad weekends, etc.

Re: Tablet regret?
 

i too have heard lots of great comments about sero. It's a great deal for $30 and getting the tablet to tether with the palm centro tethering isn't too hard.
I do have one question for SERO users though. How much does it cost to add a line?

Re: Tablet regret?
 

t-mobile has a couple of internet addons -- the 5.99 t-zones plan, which gives you access to a proxy server good for most http traffic, and a 19.99 plan gives access to almost all ports (and access to t-mobile wifi hot spots). Several of their "free" (subsidized) phones include bluetooth also. And, as far as I know, they won't automatically change your plan to a higher-priced high-data-rate plan for going over an unpublished monthly limit (I've heard of Cingular / at&t doing that -- they have a cheap data plan which is for phone use only, and if you tether it then they charge you by the MB).

But the speed is only approx 130 kbps. So it's not good for streaming media (unless you stream a 64kbps mp3 radio station).

Re: Tablet regret?
 

I recommend reading up on howardforums.com before jumping on any data plan, especially the SERO one.

http://wiki.howardforums.com/index.php/SPRINT_SERO

Re: Tablet regret?
 

Wow, the Sprint SERO plan looks pretty cool. However, right now, I have family pressure to use T-mobile. So, if anyone has any good plans with them, I'd be really thankful.

And looking into HowardForums as brontide suggested, and I managed to run into this article about using ssh with t-zones for unlimited internet. I think that's what derekp alluded to. Has anyone actually tried that method out, and is it practical for the N800? I'm pretty familiar with Linux, so I know what the steps are, but would they work on a tablet? And thanks for all the responses, they've all been really helpful.