New MacBook lacks a Cardbus Slot--How do you use High Speed Data from Verizon?

That may not help for long, as many new WinDoze laptops are coming with

slots, which are Yet Another Standard designed to cause you to discard all your peripherals and buy them again.

Sigh.

I see that Dell is bringing out an EVDO ExpressCard module, but of course that will only work on Windows boxes.

Not a big deal, the person in question that needed the EVDO is willing to change to a WinDoze platform, but he would have preferred the Apple MacBook. He's looking into running OS X on a Windows notebook, but all of the reports are that while most of the stuff works, often some of the I/O ports do not work (Bluetooth, CardBus, etc.).

Nothing wrong with an ExpressCard slot, as long as it's in addition to, and not instead of, a CardBus slot. I expect that on the extremely thin and light notebooks, that CardBus won't be around for long.

I saw an advertisement from Verizon touting EVDO on the v3 Razr. That could be tethered to a laptop with bluetooth or USB.

I have Cingular, where the V3 only has the slower GPRS, not even EDGE, so I don't know about the Verizon pitch, but maybe it's a newer model v3.

My Motorola v551 does EDGE at about 100Kbps to a Bluetooth Windows laptop. The Motorola v557 has better upload speeds than my v551.

SMS wrote in news:442970de$0$96012 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

Of course! It isn't a proprietary Applecrap bus! How horrible...plugging some STANDARD electronics made by just anyone into a MAC! But, you knew that, right?

Tethering is pain in the butt. He'll get a Windows notebook instead.

Tethering my v551 is a matter of a double-click on the dialer icon.

Other than needing to have the phone within Bluetooth range, and having Bluetooth turned on, I don't see how that classifies as a pain. It might even be an improvement, since the phone could be moved somewhere for better reception than a built in GPRS card.

That strikes me as less difficult that changing to a different operating system, but I suppose different people have different thresholds for pain.

It's not just that. With a CardBus card, you're separating your phone and your data connections. This guy wants to use the CardBus card in his notebook when traveling, but in a wireless router when at home, so all the computers in the house can share the data connection.

It's not about price, I don't even know what unlimited tethered EV-DO access costs, if it's actually any less than using a CardBus modem. It's about being able to separate the voice and data functions.

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

Nonsense (yet again) -- it's actually quite easy and convenient.

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

That's *not* what he wrote -- he was thinking of using a wireless EV-DO router as an alternative to a more direct form of EV-DO connection.

Why am I not surprised. $60/month.

Not to the OP.

The only problem if tethered with USB is you cannot use your phone to make calls when doing data. A seperate card allowed data on the laptop and calls on the handset.

Verizon Blesses Phone-As-Modem Plans

ARTICLE DATE: 02.02.06 By Sascha Segan Editors' Note: Verizon has informed us that the official name of the plans described below is now "BroadbandAccess Connect." That's what you should ask for if you wish to purchase this plan from Verizon.

"Verizon Wireless has changed its policy and will now let subscribers use several popular phones as high-speed modems for their laptops, company representatives confirmed Thursday.

The shift represents a major policy change for Verizon, which has traditionally restricted this type of usage in its terms of service agreement. The new plans are available starting today. A formal announcement will be released later today or tomorrow, company representatives said.

Users of the LG VX9800, Motorola RAZR V3c, Motorola E815, and LG VX8100 phones are now able to connect their laptops to the Internet for $59.99 per month in addition to their voice plans, according to Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney.

They join users of the Blackberry 7130e handheld, who have been able to use their PDA/phones as modems since the 7130e came out. Users of the new Palm Treo 700w and Verizon XV6700 handhelds are still out in the cold, according to Verizon's initial device list.

All these devices will connect to Verizon's BroadbandAccess EV-DO network, which offers speeds averaging about 700 kbps/sec in most major metro areas of the US. The official announcement from Verizon mentions using a USB cable, not Bluetooth wireless technology, to connect your phone and PC. All the phones listed above can theoretically connect to PCs using Bluetooth, but Verizon disables that modem function. USB cables are available from various sources for $10-20; you can also use the cable that comes with the VX8100's V CAST Music kit."

This is correct. And there is no lower price for using your phone as the modem versus a stand-alone modem. Since you can do two things at once with a stand-alone card, versus one thing with a phone, there should be some difference in price.

[POSTED TO alt.internet.wireless - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

That makes no sense.

I missed the "wireless router at home" part.

You're carrying two SIMs in that case. Two phones would be as easy, if a bit bulkier. Then, you'd even have a backup phone as an added benefit.

I must be missing something. If you have a card in the PC, you certainly aren't using it for voice calls (skype won't work). You must have a card in the PC, and a phone in your hand. How is that doing two things with one device? Two things at once, sure... but not with one device.

For the cardbus-impaired Mac user, a second phone, dedicated to bluetooth tethering, would allow him to do two things at once.

He doesn't understand that you can't have (much less use) two different devices on the same account at the same time.

Since you can't use a stand alone card at all, unless you change to a PC, at least using a EVDO VZW handset allows keeping the Mac. Just a work around to keep EVDO data and a Mac, if desired.

EV-DO VZW

start at post #126 for Mac specific info. Blue Tooth speed drops a bit over USB.

didn't i just read an article which reported that you promised to stop posting idiotic responses like that??