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tz1's Avatar
Posts: 716 | Thanked: 236 times | Joined on Dec 2007
#11
WiMax would be great if I was near some place that had it and didn't go out of the area.

Right now I have EVDO available from all carriers (and am on contract in a small town in southern Minnesota). I can get data nearly anywhere I go, and most places near freeways is EVDO (with a Cradlepoint pocket router and UM-150 EVDO modem I have high speed internet almost anywhere now). The GSM networks have the same kind of services available. But even EVDO is annoying as one carrier's modem won't work on another carrier's network although the electronics are identical (I was looking at an OQO2 which has an EVDO option, but had to get either sprint or verizon, and I couldn't change it after I ordered it).

WiMax is still in the "early adopter" phase. It sounds great, but for example EVDO only came here with Verizon in December, though Sprint had it for over a year. Having any technology built in that won't be useful for most people for years is not a good idea. And when it does become common there will probably be lighter-sized WiMax to Wifi or Bluetooth access points or repeaters available.