you really know your stuff! I was wondering if it's possible to get a usb broadband modem and use a female to female adapter to it in order to connect the n810 to a wireless broadband network. I'm thinking if it's poassible to avoid a tethering/ bluetooth option and just port directly into a laptom modem. thanks.

The USB connector on the N810 can provide very little power for the device. You didn't say what kind of modem it is, so it's difficult to tell. However, things like 3G/HSDPA USB modems need too much current for sure.

thanks for the reply. i don't know what modem or even if such a modem is exists. that's why i'm asking--to see if anyone knows if it's possible in general, if they've done it, experimented. it seems to me that tethering to a bluetooth device is silly and cost prohibitive when laptops can run around online without having to bother with tethering.

For me, tethering through the phone I have in my pocket or belt is completely transparent. I wouldn't want it to be different - it's certainly easier than having to connect some dongle to the tablet. It couldn't be simpler, it's as connecting to a wi-fi hotspot, just that the access point is somewhere in a pocket.

i ca n understand and appreciate that--so long as things work well for you. for me, i have a phone w/o bluetooth and a contract, so to get mobile, i need to purchase a data plan with tethering and get a pda that i don't need.

I don't know if a direct connection to a modem is possible, but you might experiment with using a battery powered hub to connect your tablet to a modem.

With a phone without BT it would be tricky indeed. But even with a USB modem you would need to purchase a contract and data plan, if you want to connect to a non-wi-fi network while on the go, and then there's the prohibitive power requirements of such modems (although people have experimented with using small add-ons or battery-powered mini-hubs). The alternative is to look for wi-fi hotspots, if there are any in your area. At home, if you have an internet connection, you could get a wi-fi router and you would be online with your N810.

i live in nyc so i can get a fair number of hotspots. my problem, though, is when i'm at work. the NIT does not detect the network and when i went to the IT department, I was told that it would not be likely that I'd get permission to use the tablet on the wan. So I'm trying to figure out a way that I can use the NIT at work, and I don't want to spend the money on an unlimited data plan (but I will), but I sure don't want to shell out more cash for a PDA PLUS a tethering plan. Oh, if things could just be a little easier ! Suggestions please!

Good news if you have sprint, they are lowering the price on the PAM plan to $15 a month, so ideally you could get a cheap centro from somewhere. Also with palm based phones you can port your phone data to BT or USB without a dataplan with USBModem. So there are a few options for you if you'd want to either buy a new phone or a used treo/centro from somewhere if your provider supports them.

I'm not sure why you would have to buy a PDA as well... that's some insanely silly carrier policy or something?