iPad purchasing decisions are about to get simpler!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve agonised over the iPad. You’d like to try it, but it’s just so damn expensive. And then the cost of connecting a separate 3G modem and the accompanying mobile data bills just so you can enjoy your iPad away from home.
Just recently a number of products have hit the market which mean that you have an easier iPad choice. They create a personal wifi hotspot for any wireless device including your iPad, your personal computer or your wifi compatible e-book reader.
Now you can buy the wireless model of your device, and just have one mobile data connection, that goes with you, sending a local wifi signal to your devices.
Think of it as your personal wifi in your pocket.
The devices are compact (some as big as a credit card), light (upto 75 grams) and run for upto six hours on a single battery charge.
The most important benefit is cost flexibility. If you buy the units outright (not connected to a plan) you can buy pre-paid data from most providers, meaning that you only pay for what you use, and no regular monthly bills for data you don’t use.
Here are three devices to check out, presented in no particular order:
- Netcomm MyZone AU$299
- MiFi from Internode AU$249 on a 24 month contract, or AU$349 on a one month contract
- Virgin Mobile Wifi modem AU$149 on backorder from Dick Smith
So with a device like this, you get the simplicity of connecting all your wifi devices to one wireless hotspot, and no more need for a 3G iPad.
UPDATE: This week, I bought the Virgin Broadband Huawei router and it works like a dream. The reception with Virgin has been patchy in and around my office, but overall it does the job. I will be using it when I travel for business to stay connected.