Writing for Ants

Geekspeak: Ups and Downs of Picking the right Internet Mobile Device

I’ve been doing some research on having an ultra portable computer to have on the go. A while back, Collin mentioned that he had purchased the Nokia N800 , and I thought it would be the best solution to fit my needs. At the same time, I’ve been wanting to get the iphone, but I still have a year left on my Verizon contract and getting the iphone would mean that I’ll be dropping 300 bucks plus having to sign up for an unlimited data plan. Since moving to NY, I’ve been thinking about switching out to AT&T anyway, but I can’t justify making that move quite yet.

Just about two months after we renewed our Verizon contract in Texas, I lost my LG VX8300, a phone I thought would serve me well for a couple of years. I liked it very much, bought the multimedia kit, installed music, and generally exploited its many features.

Consequently, I had to return to my old phone and have been using it ever since. Released in 2004, my LG VX4500 cell phone is a sad state of affairs. I can text, talk, download ringtones, and that’s about it. Cutting edge for 04.

Talking and texting is fine on this phone, but what I would like in a mobile device is simply the internet. Over the past year or so, I’ve been migrating as much work and files as I can onto the web platform. I’ve become quite dependent on the various google applications, including docs and notebook that I use constantly. So, the issue was pay the early termination fee at Verizon and go on to pick up a PDA and a new contract at ATT or T-Mobile OR get the Nokia N800 or N810 and keep using my current cell till the contract expires.

Seems like an easy enough choice, right? Still, the difference between the two lies in the data plan. If you’re using a smart phone to access the Internet, it’s on all the time. To access the net on the Nokia, like a laptop, you need a wifi connection. Since I’m going to be riding the Staten Island Ferry daily to work, I need to be able to work (and access my online files) during that time in the morning. (The ferry terminal is hot, but not the ferry.) Now, the Nokia also allows you to access cellular broadband through a bluetooth connection to your PDA. Grrr. See how this leads to a circle? I came a hair away from getting a T-Mobile Dash and signing an Internet only data plan with T-Mobile for 39.99 just so I could pair it with my N810. Ridiculous!

Then, after I already purchased the N810, I find out that Nokia has released the N810 with Wi-Max. Wi-Max stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and basically, after the infrastructure is in place, it’ll make a city hot. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that this is going to be the next step in internet connectivity, but it’s going to take some time. NYC isn’t yet fitted, so no point in rushing to get the Wi-Max version. So, this is where I stand: the N810 will be arriving in a couple of days. I’ll be able to use it in place of a laptop and carry it around in my pocket. I can usually find free hot spots in my nabe and in Manhattan. After I get it and use it for a while, I’ll see how badly I need to have cellular access (the ferry question), and make my decision then. Lastly, here’s a Youtube review on the device.