Future-stuff: Ubiquitous Internet
Thursday April 3, 2008 - 4 months ago
Posted by James Ellis / Filed under Web
I’m sure road-warrior PC folks are quite familiar with the latest mobile internet gadgets, but until recently, I was not.
I had the opportunity to spend a chunk of March on the road, eventually making my way down to Austin, TX for SxSW. Being a busy guy, it was necessary that I get work done while bumbling around.
I had heard tale of the little data cards that provide internet access over 3G cell networks, but I’d never seen one in action. After a bit of research I discovered that they now offer little PC/Mac-compatible USB sticks that get the job done, no card required. All of the big providers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc. – offer these things. I had read a nice thing or two about Sprint so I gave them a shot.
Here’s what the gadget looks like:
(I found some better photos here)
Setup was easy. The gadget actually comes with the OS X drivers built in (it has an internal flash drive), so the initial install went quickly. Once set up, getting online is easy: you plug in the stick, wait for it to power up, then click Connect using the standard OS X Internet Connect app.
They market these things as running at broadband speeds, but I figured this was likely a generous description. Thus, I was surprised to find that this thing was fast, especially in metropolitan areas. I was uploading/downloading big files, watching YouTube videos, downloading iTunes episodes of Lost, etc. It wasn’t cable/fiber fast, but fast nonetheless.
One thing I noticed: each time you made a web request after a period of inactivity, there would be a 1-2 second lag before data started moving. But once it got going, it was fast again.
Reception was great. Speed was good even in many remote areas. The only black-out spot that I experienced was in a remote stretch between Little Rock and Baton Rouge.
My only complaint: I didn’t like having a little USB stick dangling off the side of my computer. I was always worried about accidentally putting pressure on it and having it break. Sprint did a great job jamming a 3G cell phone into a little USB stick, but I couldn’t help but wish that it was already built into the machine, as WiFi is.
The Sprint deal
You pay $200 for the gadget and $60/month for unlimited access. Not a bad deal, but then they ruin it by requiring a 2-year contract, just as they do with cell phones. It’s not just Sprint – all of the major providers do this.
Fortunately, Sprint offers a 30-day trial period: sign up for the 2-year contract, use the service all you want for up to 30 days, and if for any reason you wish to discontinue the service, you can return the gadget for a full refund and cancel your contract, no questions asked, no penalty fee. You are only charged a prorated portion of the $60/month service fee.
Thus, I had Sprint mobile internet for the duration of my trip, and upon return, promptly cancelled the service. Total cost: $55.
Thoughts (or, what the MacBook Air is missing)
Having ubiquitous, wireless, broadband internet feels like the future. It just works. It makes bothering with (and often paying for) WiFi hotspots seem very lame.
Now that I know ubiquitous internet is possible, it’s turning into an expectation. John Gruber’s comment comes to mind:
After using my iPhone for a few months, it started feeling weird that my PowerBook doesn’t have ubiquitous wireless networking: Wi-Fi when available, and seamless, instant switchover to something else when it isn’t.
I’ve seen the MacBook Air up close. It’s rad. But not quite to-the-max, I’m afraid. I’m just not sweating it. My MacBook Pro gets the job done. I can deal with the two extra pounds.
I think a lot of the tech world feels the same way: the Air’s form is very impressive, but that’s where the innovation sorta putters out.
My feeling is that if you’re going to introduce a breakthrough ultra-portable, and call it Air, it should deliver on the wireless promise.
I would have liked to have seen Apple extend their partnership with AT&T to include built-in support for AT&T’s 3G data service. (Sony does this with their VAIO laptops. Most of them come with built-in support for Sprint’s high-speed service.) Given the Apple/AT&T iPhone relationship, Apple likely could have persuaded AT&T to offer an Air data plan without requiring a 2-year contract — perhaps a pay-as-you-go plan, or an optional add-on to your iPhone bill. Whatever. Just give me a fair plan. I’d pay for it.
Until Air incorporates some sort of mobile broadband, I’m not seduced. If I’m a mobile computer person, and I need an ultra-portable device, I want wireless. I don’t care about DVD/CD drives, a bunch of ports, or face-melting performance. I just want to be on the internet everywhere. And I definitely don’t want some USB modem-stick dangling off the side of my otherwise flawless machine.