It's actually a better deal than that.* If you purchase your minutes through Boost's website or at certain brick-and-mortar retailers, you can "Re-Boost" at $10 every 90 days. Just be certain to disable the obnoxious and expensive walkie talkie option as soon as you activate your phone.

For me, $10 of credit every 90 days effectively provides unlimited text and voice, which money-wise seems a good deal. That I'm tarnishing my eternal soul by supporting a company with a marketing slogan as atrocious as Boost's is a matter I simply avoid dwelling upon.


* It's not quite as good as it used to be though. Boost recently began charging for incoming text messages.

my laptop has a 3G card. i can use the laptop with the 3G card (when wifi/lan not available) but it also runs without the SIM card. The n900 could do the same, and everyone would be happy ;-) it would be optional

I was thinking of going with Boost, actually, but finally went with T-mo. The allure of EDGE caught up to me.

Oddly enough, there were, for a while, 3 "best plans" in the US, depending what you were after; T-Mo with unlimited data (tethering allowed) for $6 on top of a $30 voice plan, Sprint's SERO with blazing fast unlimited data, and tethering readily sneakable for $30, IIRC, (and a contract), and Boost, for next to nothing, no contract, and unlimited, but slow, data. And each of the three uses a different, incompatible technology. That, in a nutshell, is the reason a single integrated radio is bad. (Cost and size, of course, is why having three radios is bad.)

An empty slot, with modules available for various networks, is a clean solution that fixes everything. The only reason not to implement it is lack of a really suitable standard for the cards. (Hint to Nokia, start working on one!)

luso, no way.

These guys in this forum dont want anything added to the NXXX devices at all. They are more in favor of some government takeover of telco's and the mandatory distribution and use of wifi or wimax or something like that. Even inside the Grand Canyon they want wifi towers.

They have no middle ground. What I really think they want is for Nokia to drop the N8XX so they can have their little devices at home, just as they are, for years to come. Even as the world passes them by.

Which, of course, explains why we "most requested" the SIM slot. Pick a troll and stick to it!

Even an empty SIM slot binds a given tablet to a particular mobile phone standard, and that, combined with frequency support built into that tablet, limits the locations in which, and carriers with which, the tablet may be used.* Expanded frequency support lessens the problem, but increases costs, imposes restrictions, and extends the time the a new tablet design is held up in testing and regulatory approval.

Those costs, restrictions, and regulatory delays are all currently avoided by the tablet division, making it a more agile unit within the somewhat, well, glacial Nokia. As some posters here take up their sandwich boards and proclaim the immanent doom of the tablet line due to Nokia releasing new models too infrequently, it's jarring to watch others (or in some cases, the same person) effectively demand longer periods between releases.


* The tablet owner may still use Bluetooth to tether with the phone of his or her choice, of course, but then the owner has paid for hardware, software, development, and testing that provides no benefit.

I am perfectly happy with my tablet. The only thing I would like to see is improvement of existing hardware specs, faster CPU, more memory, 1024x600 resolution. BT and wifi is working great for me.

Did I mention a better GPS?

faster cpu, DECENT GAMING CONTROLS!

summoning karel

Okay all is well.

I just typed up alater and sent it to Nokia Corporate. I addressed it to a "Mr. Rat"

I mentioned there is a damned near civil war here on this issue and that most people want the sim card. I know that this is a lie since probably only 30% here want a sim card.

I left Mr. Rat my cellphone number so I should here back soon.