I was searching for a way to gain mobile internet access, and I was looking at various hand-held devices such as the T-Mobile Sidekick and the Palm Tungsten W. Each, unfortunately, was a huge sacrifice in terms of features and services. And I soon quickly realized that what I really wanted - was mobile internet access for my laptop!As it turned out, there were too many things that I wanted to do remotely - that only my laptop would perform. I wanted to watch DVD's, open e-mail attachments; to type using a full-size keyboard, or to print the output once I downloaded it (using the wireless HP 995c Bluetooth printers that I have in both my home and office). The geographic coverage offered by WiFi hotspots (such as Starbucks) was also insufficient - especially since I also wanted to check e-mails and shop while I waited for my kids at their sports practices or music lessons - all of which are held at locations which don't have WiFi service (or dial-up connections), of course.
Lastly (and this one is key), I also wanted the ability to surf the internet at work - without being monitored by my company's MIS department - and without being blocked by the corporation's firewalls. I've had several friends or acquaintances, for example, who were actually fired from their jobs due to "excessive" amounts of shopping, job hunting, or checking their personal e-mails while using the company's network - all of which, I believe, were just convenient excuses leveled by their firms to lay these people off!
After a little digging and comparing, I finally settled on the Sierra Aircard 750 and GPRS service from AT&T - and I couldn't be happier! The service, which costs $80/month for unlimited access, isn't cheap. But by committing myself to two years, AT&T tossed in the Sierra Aircard (which is normally $300) - for free! Since buying the Sidekick or Tungsten W would've also involved both a hardware expense - plus a monthly subscription charge as well - I figured that the total AT&T costs were actually quite reasonable, especially since the Aircard allowed me to use my laptop's full functionality.
Overall, the GPRS connection for the Aircard is moderately fast, typically about 50-60 Kbps, which is similar to a dial-up service. Since most of the websites I visit, like Amazon, are dial-up friendly, this slower speed isn't a problem. But for downloading movies or playing video games, though, this bit-rate would definitely be insufficient.
AT&T's digital phone coverage in Los Angeles (where I live) is pretty good. Unfortunately, when the signal is weak, the Aircard won't hold the connection (even in areas were I might still be able to hook up via cell phone).
When the signal is strong, however, I've found the link to be fairly secure. I rarely lose my connection (which is something that still happens quite frequently, as you know, even with a dial-up service). And I've been able to upload large e-mail attachments - or download software updates -- all without a problem.
As a watch out, the software that came with the Aircard is now obsolete, and I ended up downloading a later version which was available for free at sierrawireless.com. Service for the Aircard, in my case, is actually provided by AT&T. And the only glitch I experienced while trying to gain access (which was solved by the AT&T help desk) was my attempt to use AOL as my internet portal. Since the GPRS service doesn't involve a dial-up, using AOL isn't feasible. I had to use either Netscape or Internet Explorer (both of which were pre-loaded into my laptop), and I chose to employ the latter since it now allowed me attach Google's excellent Toolbar 2 which, according to PC World Magazine, has the best pop-up blocker in the industry. And, in case you're wondering, I can still access my AOL e-mail by going to AOL.com or AOL mail, but many of the other AOL services are lost.
The picture of the Aircard shown on the Amazon web page, incidentally, features only the antenna (which is removable), and not the PC card itself. The Sierra Aircard, unlike other brands of GPRS or GSM cards, fits totally within the PC card bay, which means I don't have to remove it when I travel. Other GPRS PC cards, by comparison, have a built-in antenna -- which is larger and causes the PC card to stick out -- and also makes them more vulnerable to breakage if left in the laptop during transit.
The only bother I have with this removable antenna is finding a place to store it. I actually carry it in the PC card's hard plastic case, which I then toss into the sewn zippered pouch I use to transport my laptop's AC adapter and cords.
As some final thoughts, it's also possible to use the Aircard like a phone, but I haven't yet done so. I might've also saved some money by employing a digital mobile phone as my internet link - thereby combining the cost of a portable phone and remote PC access into a single monthly charge.
To conclude, I still think I'm happier overall with the Sierra Aircard 750, mainly because of its smaller size - and since no one knows I'm using it. Amazingly, very few of my friends or business associates are aware that this type of device even exists! They thus have no idea that when I'm running my laptop at the office -- or at a ballpark, auditorium, in my car, or even at a church (where my son takes piano lessons) - that I'm actually surfing the internet! And I love it!
