Verizon Will Sell iPad+MiFi Bundles, Starting Oct 28th

wiredmikey quotes from today's much-anticipated announcement from Apple that Verizon is joining the iPad club, which means that: "iPad will be available at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless Stores nationwide beginning Thursday, October 28. Verizon Wireless will offer three bundles, all featuring an iPad Wi-Fi model and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, for a suggested retail price of $629.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi. Verizon Wireless is offering a monthly access plan to iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for just $20 a month. In addition, Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis." Since the Verizon bundles don't seem to offer the kind of subsidy that many phone purchases do, it would make sense to shop around for the same functionality (Wi-Fi iPad + 3G service) from other carriers. For instance, if you live within Sprint's city-centric 3G footprint, and want more than 1GB of data, Virgin Mobile's branded MiFi offers unlimited transfer (within the limit of the network — it's no FiOS, but I've used it with Skype and Google Voice) for $40/month.

Comments

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[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for trying to appeal to th' geeks, but we are awarrrrrrrgggg!!!! of your marketing ploys.
 
Thank you,
The undersigned.

Re:Tag article SLASHVERTISEMENT

[tooyoung]

For real? People have speculated for years now about the iPhone moving to Verizon. There have been countless stories on slashdot based on mere rumors. Now we see the first evidence of this potentially happening, and this isn't worthy of making it onto slashdot?

Re:Tag article SLASHVERTISEMENT

[ooshna]

No its not

Droid + iPad bundle opportunity

[Orga]

Could hook the iPad up with free wifi tethering from my rooted droid on Verizon!

Re:Droid + iPad bundle opportunity

[DrJohno]

Yep, I tether it with my Droid X too, but I'm paying the $20/month sucker fee for it instead of rooting the phone. Still better than carrying the MiFi around though -- at least I have my Droid with me whenever I use the iPad.

1gb/month

[pilgrim23]

And with the crisp iPad screen I will be able to download/stream all my favorite movies for.... enter bill shock. The cheap up front, soak them on bandwidth American telecom paradigm needs to needs now.

Re:1gb/month

[VoiceInTheDesert]

This is pretty much exactly the case. The iPad is for media...but how much media can you download/stream in 1GB?

Also, I'm going to take this opportunity to once again state how much of a rip off a 64GB media player is for $830. I can buy a very capable laptop with 3G capability for less than that and it will be useful for more than just browsing pictures and watching youtube. Honestly, my Samsung Epic is just as capable as the iPad for most purposes and costs much less while being a useful phone at the same time.

Re:1gb/month

[whisper_jeff]

I can buy a very capable laptop with 3G capability for less than that and it will be useful for more than just browsing pictures and watching youtube.

It really is laughable that you think an iPad is just for browsing pictures and watching youtube. But, hey, feel free to keep utterly missing the point. If you're happy with your Samsung Epic, all the more power to you but, I assure you, there are millions of people out there who are happy with their iPads and I also assure you that the majority of them use them for a lot more than pictures and youtube. It may not be the right product for you - the Samsung Epic may well be that product - but that doesn't mean it isn't the right product for a lot of other people. Millions and millions of other people, in fact.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm going to take this opportunity to once again state how much of a rip off a laptop is. I can buy a very capable desktop for less and it will be useful for more than just browsing pictures and watching youtube and running basic applications. Honestly, my Dell Inspiron is just as capable as a laptop for most purposes and costs much less while being a useful gaming machine at the same time.

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

It is also worth noting that millions of people bought music from Clay Aiken, Sean Paul, and Creed.

A fool and his money...

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

Insightful? Really, slashdot? I can't use my desktop from my easy chair in the living room or the sofas. I can't take the desktop with me when I visit my friends and hang off their wifi for accessing the Internet. I can't take my desktop to Starbucks (or if you hate Starbucks just substitute another public location with free wifi). Of course you can get a more powerful desktop for the same price as a laptop. This is news? You buy a laptop because you have reasons for needing one that a desktop does not support.

Re:1gb/month

[Faizdog]

I have a similar opinion as the GP, but am willing to admit that I am not very imaginative and am probably missing a whole lot of uses for the IPAD.

Since you have so strongly stated that there are many other uses, could you provide some examples, so that I can evaluate myself whether or not the IPAD is a useful device (for myself and others, who may have different needs)?

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

Very capable? I just bought a Toshiba Qosmo from newegg for $725 that kicks the ass of most home desktop computers. I have a Windows 7 score of 6.2 on this i5 quad core monster.

The only drawback is that this weighs 9 pounds and runs for 40 minutes on battery.

Re:1gb/month

[Nadaka]

That isn't insightful.

A tablet is a laptop with highly limited features in exchange for nothing useful.

A laptop is a desktop with slightly limited features in exchange for portability.

There is nothing you can do on a tablet that can not be done on a laptop instead.

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

It's useful for consuming media (tv shows, movies, etc) while on the go. A good friend of mine that lives in my apartment building enjoys using it if he's gaming while watching something on TV (I prefer a DS/PSP/laptop, but whatever). It also doubles as his e-reader.

They're easy to use and an attractive bit of hardware, but I still don't see the point at this time. I'm one of those people that would rather buy a (much) more powerful laptop for the same price, especially considering the first-gen iPad internals amount to nothing more than a netbook.

The second-gen one might be worth picking up, depending on the hardware...but I can't imagine paying that much for a netbook with no keyboard.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

... there are millions of people out there who are happy with their iPads and I also assure you that the majority of them use them for a lot more than pictures and youtube.

Yep, millions downloaded fart machines. And Samsung Epic can not run that utterly useful piece of software.

Re:1gb/month

[nine-times]

I can buy a very capable laptop with 3G capability for less than that

which of those laptops has a high-quality 10" screen, is 0.5" thick, and weighs 1.5 lbs?

my Samsung Epic is just as capable as the iPad

Your Samsung Epic has a small screen.

Here's what you have to understand: it's not about raw computing power, and it's not about being able to hack the kernel. The people who bought iPads are interested in usability for certain specific applications. It's a web-browsing appliance, an ebook reader, a document viewer, a picture browser, a giant iPod, and a bunch of other things. Being the right form-factor is essential. If you don't care about the form-factor and usability features, then you aren't its target audience at all.

Re:1gb/month

[whisper_jeff]

Depends on your needs and desires but things like the Marvel app (and the various other comic apps) makes reading comics a pleasure (no, seriously - this is an absolutely fantastic app and I highly recommend it to any comic fan out there) and the various sketching apps makes doing design brainstorming a breeze (and sending those sketches to clients easier than scanning and emailing), to name but two quick things that a laptop fails at. As a media consumption device, laying in bed, it's better than a smart phone for the screen real estate and better than a laptop for it's size and weight. For a pick-up-and-go computing device, it is superior to a laptop, imho. For a _computer_, it is inferior but I didn't buy it to be a computer. I have a desktop for desktop-y work and I have a laptop for laptop-y work. That said, I still regularly use my desktop but, since getting my ipad, I haven't used my laptop at all...

Suffice it to say there are a ton of other uses but I'm at work and don't feel like writing a long post on the subject... :)

Re:1gb/month

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

I can buy a very capable laptop with 3G capability for less than that and it will be useful for more than just browsing pictures and watching youtube.

The iPad has interesting advantages over a low-cost laptop or netbook involving portability, battery life, screen size, and app availability. Depending on what you want and what you already have, it's value is not clear cut as you're making it out to be.

Re:1gb/month

[Aeros]

Exactly. I have the LogMeIn app on my ipad and I can lay on the couch and log in remotely to several of my computers around the house as well as a few relatives. Plus its a great book reader!

Re:1gb/month

[Dog-Cow]

What's an IPAD?

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

My main problem with the first-gen iPad is that, yes, it has all those things...but it costs more (substantially so, depending on which model you get) than a netbook...all while having netbook internals with no keyboard.

The second-gen might be worth buying from a hardware perspective, but I can't justify a $500+ netbook with no keyboard.

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

I missed this part in my first reply:

and app availability

Your other points are valid, but there is no way in hell you're going to convince me that a closed store allows more flexibility and choices for a computer that can run anything from anywhere.

Re:1gb/month

[RawJoe]

The cheap up front, soak them on bandwidth American telecom paradigm needs to needs now.

NOOOO. They don't need any more needs! Just deliver!

Re:1gb/month

[Aeros]

As I mentioned in a previous post the LogMeIn app I also forgot to mention another one of my favorites. If you have Netflix and on a wifi network you can stream movies to it which is really nice. Another favorite app is GoodReader which allows you to import and organize pdf files. Now I can carry several of the reference books around on there and always have access to that information. No im not an apple fan-boy, in fact I hate what apple has turned into. But this is a pretty nice device overall. Yes the hardware needs to be enhanced and yes it is overpriced. One thing I find funny is most people who bitch and complain about it have never even tried the thing...go figure.

Re:1gb/month

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

My main problem with the first-gen iPad is that, yes, it has all those things...but it costs more (substantially so, depending on which model you get) than a netbook...all while having netbook internals with no keyboard.

It's also running it's own OS and applications, meaning that the netbook-like-internals don't really mean much as they're being used differently. You're buying 'what it can do' not 'what it is made of'.

Re:1gb/month

[rockout]

While I share your assessment of those three "artists" and their musical "talent", that doesn't mean that those millions of other people are fools. They just don't share your (or my) taste in music. This goes back to the GP post - just because an iPad isn't for you, doesn't mean it can't fit the needs of millions of other people, who may be "fools" in your opinion, but in the end, that's just your opinion, and it would be supremely arrogant to state it as fact.

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

It's the same reason why I refuse to (legitely, anyway) upgrade the 20GB hard drive in my Xbox 360. I'm not paying $100 for a 120 gig hard drive, because that's asinine. Likewise, I'm not paying as much as a laptop for iPhone 4 internals. The geek in me won't let it happen :/

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

I was just pointing out that millions of people buying something isn't necessarily indicative of its quality.

You'll see in other parts of this same story, I think the iPad is great to use and has its uses, but given the included hardware isn't worth the cost. Maybe the second-gen, but certainly not the first-gen iteration.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

wow, I didn't realize I needed an app to organize my PDF's. Wow, I'm getting one ... just as soon as the rest of the web works. Oh yeah, Jobs nix'ed that. Nevermind.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

If you think a tablet is not more portable than a laptop, you need to look again.

Not to mention tablets are (or SHOULD) be beating out laptops on battery life.

Laptops are also not touch-screen input.

Re:1gb/month

[mean pun]

I bought it as an e-reader. With its large screen it can very nicely handle PDF scientific papers and books, although I admit the supply of scientific e-books is a bit thin at the moment.

There is a Kindle with the same screen size, but it is almost as expensive, and the iPad has a much faster screen. Plus I know and like the iPod touch, the Kindle is hard to buy here in the Netherlands, and I refuse to use the Kindle book store because their ebooks are just as expensive as the paper ones. Then again, the Apple bookstore in the Netherlands has exactly zero modern titles... Laptops are useless as e-reader because you cannot use them with the screen in portrait position.

Everything else is icing on the cake, although it is a pretty thick layer. Email, simple gaming, and web browsing are all very nice. One day I may use it as a moving map (I have one with a GPS), and there are a couple of other neat special-purpose apps I use now and then. The paint and draw apps I've bought are still a bit cumbersome, but they are getting better and better. Oh, and I use it as a photo viewer. I think I've watched one or two of videos on it, but that's it.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

I bought your mom's LogMeIn app, bitch. Say hi to your new sister for me.

Re:1gb/month

[Aeros]

what a puss

Re:1gb/month

[RocketRabbit]

Actually, the iPad is for *anything* at this point. I know quite a few people who use one for taking notes in class, writing papers, making presentations, and so forth.

Coupled with a nice bluetooth keyboard, it's still smaller than most netbooks, and the battery life is of course way, way better. Using the iPad as a typewriter, for example, I get over 30 hours of battery life.

Just because you can view Youtube on the iPad, doesn't mean that you can't type a paper on it too.

Re:1gb/month

[RocketRabbit]

I would disagree. It's sufficient for what people use it for. In what way is the hardware not good enough?

Sure, it's not cheap, but it's also a fairly high quality product. I am looking forward to all the $100 cheap plastic flimsy Android tablets that will, no doubt, beat the iPad on some ridiculous spec sheet, but I doubt that this will stop people from literally lining up in droves at the Apple store.

Re:1gb/month

[fermion]

The iPad is not a streaming device. A single movie will eat up all of the 250MB ration. What it is good for is to watch movie you own or rent at home. As much of a rip off as many would consider an iPad to be, the 64GB can hold an very large amount of media. With planning, or renting and downloading under WiFi conditions, it makes an every effective mobile device. I have also started playing games again.

The only option for unlimited movie streaming, as far as I can see, is a cricket or sprint plan, 60 GB It is separate device, but is wireless.

Re:1gb/month

[RocketRabbit]

How about use it for more than a few hours? This is the one big feature that I really got the iPad for. The specs say, "10 hours of HD video playing" but if you are just typing up documents or reading ebooks or doing light web browsing, the iPad runs for 30+ hours on a charge.

So you can't put Quake 4 on there, but who cares?

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

Purchase app, app automatically downloads and installs in a few seconds.

vs

Insert CD (or dig out and connect USB cdrom first in the case of netbooks), run installer, wait potentially several minutes or longer, possibly reboot, eject CD and store it.

Now, which of these is more convenient when you're actually out?

Note that this has actually nothing to do with Apple, the iPad or App store specifically. Android tablets will offer the same convenience, and it has nothing to do with the "closedness" of the application market.

Re:1gb/month

[rockout]

But again, in music, quality is in the ear of the listener. As for quality and the iPad, the form factor has to count for something - if you've never actually held one and fooled around on it, you should. It fills a hole between smartphone and laptop that no products before it (or currently, as far as I can tell) have filled nearly as well. I don't need one myself, but I had to admire the size, shape and weight of the thing. For a lot of people, it's perfect. Are some people buying it just because it's "cool" and they have money to burn? Probably, but it's ridiculous to dismiss millions of people as falling into that category just because you don't like/need one.

Re:1gb/month

[darthdavid]

If you're going to lug around a bluetooth keyboard anyway why not just get a netbook?

Re:1gb/month

[Tanman]

It is also useful for Words with Friends. So that's browsing pictures, watching youtube, and words with friends.

Of the 3 people sitting next to me with ipads, I think words with friends is the dominant application used.

Re:1gb/month

[toastar]

What's an IPAD?

It's a device that digitally lets you know when to plan the guys night out.

Re:1gb/month

[wootcat]

For the times when you *don't* need the keyboard. That's the beauty of it. If you don't need the keyboard, it stays at home and you are carrying around a much smaller and lighter piece of tech. I am truly amazed at how quickly the iPad has caught on. I saw three within two rows of me on a flight out to CA and at church last Saturday, the couple next to me pulled out their own individual iPads to follow along with the scripture and to take notes.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

i would love to use an ipad or any other slate device for an ereader, but since i read for hours at a time, i don't fancy having my eyes burnt out on backlit LCD. which is also why an ipad isn't an ereader. it's a slate device running ereading software.

trust me you notice spending an afternoon reading a kindle compared to one reading on an ipad. reading for 20 minutes before you fall asleep, the ipad can do that.

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

I have...a good buddy of mine that lives in our apartment building has one, and I've played around with it for a total of three or four hours over the two months he's had it.

I like the form factor, I like the interface, I like what it's capable of...but the geek in me just won't let me pay that much for it

Re:1gb/month

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

I'm not paying $100 for a 120 gig hard drive, because that's asinine.

I agree with you, but that's mainly because you could probably buy your own hard drive and put it in. The iPhone and iPad aren't really the same animal. What would make me agree with you is if either of those devices used an off-the-shelf OS. That make sense?

Re:1gb/month

[Pojut]

I didn't say a single word about convenience, and neither did the poster I replied to. He said availability, and I said flexibility and options.

What offers you more choices...Best Buy, or every electronics store in the world?

Re:1gb/month

[RocketRabbit]

Because, even WITH a bluetooth keyboard, the iPad is still smaller and lighter. And it beats the hell out of all current netbooks for battery life.

Re:1gb/month

[BasilBrush]

It is also worth noting that millions of people bought music from Clay Aiken, Sean Paul, and Creed.
A fool and his money...

Millions of fools bought XBox 360s.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

> stares at monitor for 10+ hours a day
> claims ipad will burn out his eyes
This needs to die. When did emissive displays start to cause "eyes burn out"? bullshit

Re:1gb/month

[VoiceInTheDesert]

It's a media device. What else does it do that a laptop cannot? The interface is garbage for any sort of typing input and it lacks processing power to do any real calculations, so it's not a tool for anything in depth.

I am shocked that this product is doing this well, but I'm not shocked that there are people out there who think that simple popularity is indicative of quality. I take it you also credit Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga with being two of the best musicians of all time thanks to their record sales?

And if I'm missing the point of the iPad, you failed to show it to me. I eagerly await your reply that includes actual examples of useful things you can do beyond media.

Do people buy it? Absolutely. Does that mean it's worth anything close to it's price? Absolutely not.

Re:1gb/month

[Nadaka]

laptops are more portable because they close to protect their screen and input methods from damage.

I also happen to have a touch screen laptop.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

Your original point was just crap, and so are your comparisons.

Re:1gb/month

[sortius_nod]

This is the problem, none of the $100 plastic Android tabs even come close to the iPad as far as specs or quality.

Why waste $100 on something that has an outdated OS, is underspecced, and is made of the cheapest components you can get. Half of them use resistive touchscreens, which are horrible.

I really wanted there to be a contender to the iPad, but there isn't. The Galaxy Tab is turning out to be a huge joke, the specs are horrid and the price even more inflated than the iPad.

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

laptops are more portable

No, they aren't.

 

because they close to protect their screen and input methods from damage.

"Screen protection" has absolutely nothing to do with portability. The very fact that after unfolding them to use, they are larger than a tablet, makes them less portable. Or are you telling me that walking down the street with a 15" laptop in one hand is the same as carrying a tablet?

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

So I assume you don't carry around a smartphone, or actually a cellphone of any kind then, and just walk around with a laptop everywhere, right?

I mean after all, who would spend hundreds of dollars on a smartphone when they can get a cheaper laptop that does more.

Re:1gb/month

[Fulcrum of Evil]

The Ipad has 32G available - just load up while on wifi and quitcherbitchin.

Re:1gb/month

[Sark666]

But it is pretty much that. It's primarily a viewer (document,image,video) and web browser. Document viewing and internet communication. But it's not general purpose productivity machine like a normal OS.

Re:1gb/month

[elashish14]

And my acer aspire one (which is about 2 years old) does all of those things perfectly fine, possibly with a few accessories. I could upgrade to a 9-cell battery to bump up to 6 hours of charge and they're only about $40. In fact, I can buy as many batteries as I want and have essentially limitless battery life (can't do that with an ipad). The screen is about an inch smaller (8.9), it weighs about 1kg (2.2 pounds - not at all hard to hold) and I estimate about .8" thick - keep in mind that your ipad will need a case which brings these form factors closer unless you want to risk damaging it.

Not to mention that the netbook has a mousepad and full keyboard (which is good for typing), greater storage infinite storage (and expandable via USB if the 100GB HDD isn't enough), certainly functions as an ipod - it fills all those same requirements. All that starting at $250. So I don't really see what's revolutionary about the ipad's form factor. There are other products around that certainly do the same thing - and did long before there were ipads and for cheaper. No... there's nothing innately good about the ipad - just apple's magical sales tactics which raise hype and bring users around to pay a premium for nothing really new.

Re:1gb/month

[bemymonkey]

Not really a valid comparison, as a laptop is nothing but an underpowered portable PC. It can run the same OS, has support for all the same peripherals, and can do everything a PC can, with the exception of certain performance-limited tasks - and even then, you could build a laptop that has just as much power as a usual desktop. It'd just be as big as a desktop, but that doesn't really matter...

The iPad on the other hand is, well... a billion and one people have said it before me: a big iPod.

If you want a big iPod, that's great - I can see why it would appeal to many people. But your comparison is bunk...

Re:1gb/month

[Anonymous Coward]

>, "10 hours of HD video playing"

The new MacBook says the same thing. It is also a lie. Like the cake.

Re:1gb/month

[Darth_brooks]

a picture browser

The day I can hook my camera up to an iPad is the day I place my order. Till then an iPad is just a fancy front end for plants vs. zombies. I'm holding out a little hope for the next gen to have some sort of USB port but, given Apple's history, they'll just drop a smaller one on us this time around, then, in two more years, come up with the TOTALLY REVOLUTIONARY feature called the iPort...

Re:1gb/month

[Duradin]

There is a camera connection kit. One adapter for usb, one for SD cards.

Re:1gb/month

[RazorSharp]

Insightful? Really, slashdot? I can't use my desktop from my easy chair in the living room or the sofas. I can't take the desktop with me when I visit my friends and hang off their wifi for accessing the Internet. I can't take my desktop to Starbucks (or if you hate Starbucks just substitute another public location with free wifi).

Of course you can get a more powerful desktop for the same price as a laptop. This is news? You buy a laptop because you have reasons for needing one that a desktop does not support.

I have to second this. Not to mention the main reason laptops outsell desktops: business travel. It doesn't matter if a desktop is more powerful and lasts longer when it doesn't go where you need it to go.

Re:1gb/month

[nine-times]

And my acer aspire one (which is about 2 years old) does all of those things perfectly fine, possibly with a few accessories.... The screen is about an inch smaller (8.9), it weighs about 1kg (2.2 pounds - not at all hard to hold) and I estimate about .8" thick...

Yeah, but my whole point is that it's not about computing power or even about raw functionality-- it's specifically about the form factor. The iPad is very very light and very thin for a device with such a large screen, which makes it very pleasant to use in certain situations. Even the fact that it's a touchscreen instead of a clamshell form-factor means that it's more accessible in certain situations.

So if your usage doesn't make the form-factor particularly appealing, then the iPad won't be attractive to you. Of course, in that case you're also not the target audience.

keep in mind that your ipad will need a case which brings these form factors closer unless you want to risk damaging it.

I have an ipad, and I carried it around without a case for a couple weeks without any damage. I eventually got one of Apple's cases, which ads very little to the dimensions or weight, and I feel comfortable tossing it into a bag without special precautions.

Not to mention that the netbook has a mousepad and full keyboard (which is good for typing)...

... and isn't what the people who bought iPads were looking for. Look, different form-factors have different advantages. If you have no interest in the iPad form-factor, fair enough. Someone might say, "I have no interest in laptop computers. I can get a desktop computer with more power, more storage, a bigger screen, and more functionality for cheaper, and I have no interest in carrying my computer around with me." For that guy, it's true, there's no point in buying a laptop. That doesn't mean that laptops are stupid.

Re:1gb/month

[Man On Pink Corner]

This needs to die. When did emissive displays start to cause "eyes burn out"? bullshit

Well, of course they do! Nobody wants to spend hours a day reading from a backlit LCD. And the GP will cheerfully spend the next 12 hours staring at his LCD monitor, reading Slashdot threads on the subject and telling people all about it.

The problem with wifi-only iPad

[microbee]

is that it does not have a GPS chip. This makes all the location services not working. Would it work with +myfi?

Somehow Apple did not stress this point in feature difference when it released the iPads. I only found it out a while after I bought the wifi version.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[grub]

WiFi-only iPad location services should work decently with the IP geolocation. Heck, it works very well (to my house!) on our iPod Touch.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Tharsman]

is that it does not have a GPS chip. This makes all the location services not working. Would it work with +myfi?

Somehow Apple did not stress this point in feature difference when it released the iPads. I only found it out a while after I bought the wifi version.

It's in their website. http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Location:
* Wi-Fi
* Digital compass
* Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
* Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

I was very clear about this when I got my Wi-Fi iPad. It still can point me in the map, exactly points at my apartment in a cramped up community, something I find very scary given the thing has no GPS. Didn't know you could get that much information out of your Wi-Fi alone.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Pojut]

I shall answer your questions with another:

If you are going to be using an iPad over only WiFi, why would you care about location services?

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[DrEldarion]

... but if Apple included GPS in the first version, then how else would they force you to buy the second version next year?

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[AndrewNeo]

Well, to be fair, it's not coming from your wifi, it's coming from more or less a wardriving MAC GPS database.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[AndrewNeo]

Who says wifi is stationary? I think you're missing the point, but so is Apple.

If you're on stationary wifi, then yes, why do you need location services? But if you're on mobile wifi (tethering, MiFi, etc.), you might want to use it as a GPS or the like. Now, if it supported bluetooth GPS pucks (or nowadays, smartphones that will act as bluetooth GPS pucks) then there shouldn't be as much an issue.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Lord Byron II]

To be clear: None of them have a GPS chip.

The Wifi ones use the nearby Wifi hotspots to locate you, while the Wifi+3G ones use the hotspots plus the cell towers to find you.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Pojut]

hmm...hadn't considered the tethering point of view. Touche, good sir!

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Anonymous Coward]

Incorrect. The 3G iPad does have real GPS. A Broadcom BCM4750UBG to be exact.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[voidptr]

The WiFi + 3G version has an actual GPS chip in it that works with or without a cell tower in range. "Assisted GPS" means it bootstraps the GPS chip with either WiFi or cell triangulation and time reference to speed up computing the initial GPS solution if they're available, but it is real GPS and works without a cell subscription or if you're not in WiFi or cell coverage.

The GPS chip is built into the 3G chipset though, which is why it's not in the WiFi only version.

I wish they'd add native support for third-party bluetooth GPS pucks to provide Core Location data though.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Sancho]

hmm...hadn't considered the tethering point of view. Touche, good sir!

You know, since this very article is about Verizon selling a MiFi with an iPad, I'm pretty surprised that anyone overlooked that use-case.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[mean pun]

I don't know where this myth comes from, but the 3G ones DO have a true GPS. Perhaps people think that 'assisted GPS' means 'fake GPS'. Wrong. It just means that the real GPS gets some help from the cellular network to quickly get a first position fix. After that it functions like any other GPS, and without that help it just takes a little longer to get the fix.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[tlhIngan]

I don't know where this myth comes from, but the 3G ones DO have a true GPS. Perhaps people think that 'assisted GPS' means 'fake GPS'. Wrong. It just means that the real GPS gets some help from the cellular network to quickly get a first position fix. After that it functions like any other GPS, and without that help it just takes a little longer to get the fix.

Probably because there's actually several different levels of Assisted GPS.

First one would be "fake GPS" where it's really a 1-channel GPS receiver and uses the cell network to provide the missing satellites - usually the cell towers do the computation for you and they know your location. Many "dumbphones" do this (remember when you had to pay for locations eervices?).

Another form would be where the cell tower broadcasts the local GPS information and combined with the received satellite signal, the onboard AGPS chip computes your location. Featurephones often use this variant, and most E911 is done this way as well.

The iPad, iPhone and probably every smartphone out there instead uses this third form which is GPS with network bootstrap. In GPS, the module needs to download some data known as the almanac, which details the location of the satellites in the sky. It's a slow download, which is why a GPS cold start can take easily 15 minutes of solid signal (we're talking a few hundred bits per second). A warm start (the GPS has a moderately recent almanac that it can use immediately, plus knows where it was last) means it just has to acquire the satellites and do the calculations, which can take 15-45 seconds while it updates the almanac data in the background. Of course, if you're attached to the cell network, you suddenly have two more pieces of information - the cell network can provide the current almanac at much faster speeds so cold-starting takes much less time, as well as providing initial GPS data (similar to the second form of AGPS above) so you can get a rough fix in seconds. Without this asssistance, it'll work standalone just fine, but with it, it can get a fix extremely quickly and improve on it as it acquires more satellites on its own. Even cold-starting a GPS is relatively quick if it can grab the almanac this way.

The confusion comes because there's many forms of assistance - from just bootstrapping to letting the cell tower figure it out.

Apple takes it one further as well since CoreLocation uses GPS, but also supports WiFi geolocation (if a connection's available) as well as cell-tower geolocation.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[aristotle-dude]

Who says wifi is stationary? I think you're missing the point, but so is Apple.

If you're on stationary wifi, then yes, why do you need location services? But if you're on mobile wifi (tethering, MiFi, etc.), you might want to use it as a GPS or the like. Now, if it supported bluetooth GPS pucks (or nowadays, smartphones that will act as bluetooth GPS pucks) then there shouldn't be as much an issue.

The location by Wifi does not just go just by the name of your wifi base station you are connected to but also surrounding stations.

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[Pojut]

Meh, I've done worse :p

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[bemymonkey]

Actually, this is a common misconception. Assisted GPS itself doesn't use any kind of network triangulation, but rather receives data on the position of satellites in order to find/lock on to them faster. It can also offload computation to servers, but that's not really necessary any more, what with the processors in smartphones and PNDs these days.

Network location is usually used only as an alternative until an actual GPS fix is obtained. This is definitely the way it works on Android devices, iOS may differ in implementation somewhat, but AGPS is definitely not what you're making it out to be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

Re:The problem with wifi-only iPad

[EvilBudMan]

http://www.oldvaloghomes.com/

I bet it can't load the above page either.

Nothing you cannot already get.

[bigredradio]

You can already buy the iPad. You can already get a MiFi device and connect them. The only news here is that they are available at the same store. I was starting to jump for joy until I realized that it was not a Verizon network capable iPad. Maybe next year.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[bsDaemon]

WSJ article a few days ago indicated that Verizon should have the iPhone in early 2011. Assuming that's true, a good indicator that they're moving that direction is having Verizon bundle the iPad. The MyFi device is probably just a temporary measure to get around the GSM-only hardware for cellular data.

Since the iPad doesn't need to make phone calls, using an adapter for cellular data access makes sense. They'll have to make some physical changes to the iPhone to have it actually work on a non-GSM carrier, so it makes sense to take longer moving in that direction, but using the iPad to get people used to the idea of a break in AT&T exclusivity.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. I actually wouldn't mind an iPhone, but I have no reason at all to want an iPad.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[AndrewNeo]

I'm not really sure how much of a change they would have to make, considering there was an article earlier this year on how someone removed the 3G unit from their iPad and replaced it with the insides of an.. wait, you guessed it, a MiFi. (article) My point being the 3G unit is modular in the iPad (unlike a phone's, which is integrated with the radio which is deeply involved with the phone's operation) and they could probably make a CDMA version.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[ThermalRunaway]

Exactly, its a band aid for now until an EVDO (or maybe LTE?) iPad is ready.

However, I see this bundle as a net win. With a 3G iPad, you get data on your ipad, and thats it. Unless you jailbreak and use it as a hot spot. If you get the MiFi bundle (which is basically the same cost as an ATT 3G ipad) you get a router that you can connect other devices to besides the iPad. So if you have a laptop and an iPad, you are good on both counts.

Futher, this somewhat future proofs your data setup. You can't swap out the chipset in the iPad, so all those ATT 3G owners will be left out when LTE hits. But if you are using a MiFi... just get a 4G mifi and you are in business.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[mlts]

Sprint had a deal for a week or so for a MiFi like device for $25, then $25 a month. The downside? It checked the MAC address, and only allowed iOS devices to connect.

Best of all worlds? Buy a 3G iPad, and a Clear device (like the Rover Puck.)

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[ThermalRunaway]

.. the 3G unit is modular in the iPad (unlike a phone's, which is integrated with the radio)...

The 3G module IS a radio. The iPad #G baseband chip is the Infineon X-Gold 608, according to the data sheet it supports HSDPA, WCDMA, and EDGE. This is the same chip that could be used in a phone to make calls.

There is not "probably" about making a CDMA version. You just need a CDMA chipset instead of the X-GOLD 608 and you would need different drivers in iOS to support the different chip. But I would suspect there is a very clean interface in the code that makes this easy. The dialer app isnt making calls directly to the radio or something. Look at how Android's telephony stack is setup. And look at how they have phones on CDMA and UMTS networks... this isn't difficult....

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[Nocuous]

WSJ article a few days ago indicated that Verizon should have the iPhone in early 2011. Assuming that's true, a good indicator that they're moving that direction is having Verizon bundle the iPad. The MyFi device is probably just a temporary measure to get around the GSM-only hardware for cellular data.

Don't bet on them bundling it when they can get the sheeple to shell out data fees for the iPad AND the iPhone. The iPad is hideously, insultingly overpriced. I'll be watching to see if the upcoming Android tablets bring Apple back to earth, or at least within surface-to-air missile range of it. I may choose to switch to a tablet for some of my reading, but only if I can tie it at no extra monthly cost to the data plan I already pay for.

The Kindle is still best for pleasure reading (and using the built-in dictionary for the occasional unfamiliar word), but when reading manuals, philosophy, or economics, I could use a better browser for brief research on topics and people in my reading.

(Though I might be seduced by what I recently read is the single most popular use for an iPad these days, playing some masterpiece of productivity called, "Angry Birds".)

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[dnahelicase]

I believe a lot of people are reading too much into this. This isn't anything more than Apple allowing Verizon to sell hardware that you can buy a dozen other places. I could get a mifi through Verizon or any of the other carriers already, and I could buy a wifi iPad already.

??

Is it Verizon just saying that "Hey! Apple doesn't hate us! We're cool too! Oh yeah, they didn't make any hardware yet that will work with our network, but you can buy stuff here and we'll sell you a second thing to carry around and keep charged that will let you casually browse the internet if you don't want to stream any video."

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[aristotle-dude]

So you think that the iPad is overpriced but you think that Android tablets will bring the price down? Are you talking about subsidized or unsubsidized prices? The 3G iPad is not subsidized or locked and analysts were expecting that the starting price was going to be around a thousand dollars. The Samsung tab with carrier subsidization costs around the same price as a an iPad without it so I would expect that the unsubsidized price is over a thousand dollars.

Maybe you can get back to us when you decide to join us in reality.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[Overzeetop]

It's more than that. Verizon is trying to be so cool that they're steeply discounting their mifi service if you buy an ipad from them. $20/GB is a steal compared to the $15/day on a pay up front or a $40/month, 250MB limit plan that they currently offer. It smacks of desperation.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[rsborg]

someone removed the 3G unit from their iPad and replaced it with the insides of an.. wait, you guessed it, a MiFi.

A one-off hardhack does not make a shipping product. To prevent against "Son of Antennagate" they'll have to do rigorous testing to make this sale-able. Not to mention cooperation from VZ.

Plus, why not just have VZ network be a feature for iPad v2?

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[Nocuous]

So you think that the iPad is overpriced but you think that Android tablets will bring the price down? Are you talking about subsidized or unsubsidized prices? The 3G iPad is not subsidized or locked and analysts were expecting that the starting price was going to be around a thousand dollars. The Samsung tab with carrier subsidization costs around the same price as a an iPad without it so I would expect that the unsubsidized price is over a thousand dollars.

Maybe you can get back to us when you decide to join us in reality.

So you think it's a good thing that the iPad was under analysts' expected price point? As if you respect those analysts' opinions, and as if you think the actual iPad prices aren't outrageous? Take another sip of the Kool Aid.

I expect competition from multiple Android tablet offerings will force Apple to lower their crazy prices, as they lose the exclusivity of products in this form factor.

And if that doesn't sound to you like the history of consumer electronics for the past 20 years, then you're not well acquainted with reality yourself.

I think it's hilarious that my criticism of Apple - not you personally, Apple - stung you so hard that you had to attack my opinion. Oddly, my implied criticism of Verizon in the same post didn't seem to faze you.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[aristotle-dude]

Ok. You don't seem to get it. Apple is the largest flash memory consumer in the "WORLD" which means that they can negotiate the lowest price possible which means that they can offer their flash memory based products at a much lower price and still maintain a healthy margin. This buying power also extends to their manufacturing capacity at Foxconn and purchase of other components such as the CPU and cellular radio. Their competitors do not have the same volume purchasing power so it is an uphill battle for them.

Shouldn't the fact that Samsung is selling their device through a carrier with subsidization be a big clue stick for you? They cannot offer their devices without a contract at a price that is competitive with the iPad 3G and the Wifi model is even cheaper.

The Samsung tablet lacks the established ecosystem of accessories and apps that the iPad has so Samsung would have to offer their device at loss of several hundred dollars to appeal to anyone other than a blind android fanboy. HTC and other makers have the same problem. They either have to sell their devices at a loss, lock it to a carrier contract or sacrifice performance/features.

Maybe you should stop drinking the Android koolaid for a while.

Funny that you should mention history of electronics because my point of economies of scale regarding flash memory has been repeated time and time again by the winners in that industry.

I can take my 3G iPad, go to Europe or Japan, pop out my carrier's micro sim and have it work with a new SIM without any hacking or adjustments and I can stop/start my data subscription on my home carrier at any point in time without penalty. You cannot do the same thing with a device locked to a carrier contract with SIM lock.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[Nocuous]

Ok. You don't seem to get it. Apple is the largest flash memory consumer in the "WORLD" which means that they can negotiate the lowest price possible which means that they can offer their flash memory based products at a much lower price and still maintain a healthy margin./p>

Nope, it's still you who's missing the salient point. Apple COULD offer those flash memory products (which contain a lot more than flash memory) at a much lower price than they do, but they choose not to, and they get away with it because of the quality of their design (I admit), the cachet of their brand, and the fact that there are few or no competitors with similar products.

When there are equivalent competitors, Apple will be forced to lower prices. That's pretty much the only thing that does make them do that.

If you can't get that, then you're wasting your time fulminating against my opinion. I'm done with this thread, enjoy.

Re:Nothing you cannot already get.

[aristotle-dude]

Ok. You don't seem to get it. Apple is the largest flash memory consumer in the "WORLD" which means that they can negotiate the lowest price possible which means that they can offer their flash memory based products at a much lower price and still maintain a healthy margin./p>

Nope, it's still you who's missing the salient point. Apple COULD offer those flash memory products (which contain a lot more than flash memory) at a much lower price than they do, but they choose not to, and they get away with it because of the quality of their design (I admit), the cachet of their brand, and the fact that there are few or no competitors with similar products.

When there are equivalent competitors, Apple will be forced to lower prices. That's pretty much the only thing that does make them do that.

If you can't get that, then you're wasting your time fulminating against my opinion. I'm done with this thread, enjoy.

You are absolutely right. They could be just as stupid as everyone else and sacrifice margin in an attempt for marketshare but what would it gain them? Right now, they cannot manufacture enough units to cover the existing demand. Also, without the margins, who would fund the research and innovation? Have you noticed the stagnation in the PC industry? That is caused by razor thin margins because companies don't have the budgets for R&D for innovation but rather is spent on figuring out how to make things cheaper.

As a consumer, you are experiencing diminishing returns on the "cheaper" products because they are also of lower quality than they used to be and there is very little change from year to year.

One only need take a look at the "NETBOOK" segment. Innovation on that front is practically non-existent. They still have machines with 1 GB of ram and slow processors and the reason for that is a low price and almost no margin. There is zero incentive to innovate.

I choose to buy products from companies that are leading the charge on innovation rather than looking for the cheapest upfront price. I would rather pay more upfront instead of having paid less upfront but paying more after three years of buying mediocre crap with only small improvements.

Summary Correction: Sprint's 3g footprint

[exabrial]

I think you mean Sprint's 4G footprint. Sprint has 3G coast-to-coast like Verizon does (They often share the same towers). AT&T has a city-central 3g network and 2g technology everywhere else.

Re:Summary Correction: Sprint's 3g footprint

[timothy]

Well, Sprint says "Nationwide" (Yes, it's coast-to-coast), but their* 3G map looks smaller than Verizon's, based on this map:
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/check-cell-phone-coverage

compared to this one for Verizon's claimed broadband coverage area (you might need to click the radio button / refresh: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wireless-coverage-area-map.shtml)

On the other hand, maybe you're right: This article has high praise for Sprint's network; the Kindle connection really is pretty convincing -- http://www.mobile-broadband-reviews.com/sprint-coverage.html

I've seen (surprising to me!) good connection in PA, NY, WA, and MD, including on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and while in a moving train in PA.

Cheers,

Tim

* I might be wrong to call it "Sprint's" network; this comparison has rough edges, because Virgin might for some reason not have the same footprint, even though they're *using* "the Sprint network."

Re:Summary Correction: Sprint's 3g footprint

[lucifuge31337]

Not sure where you live for that to be your experience, but I'm 35 miles from Philadelphia, 35 miles from Princeton, and 75 miles from New York City. I'm not near any major city, not even any large towns. AT&T is 3G just about everywhere around here.

Re:Summary Correction: Sprint's 3g footprint

[exabrial]

Try Manhattan, KS. Sprint/Verizon 3g is everywhere out here (Even Dodge City, KS!) but AT&T is nowhere to be found if you leave Kansas City, MO.

Re:Summary Correction: Sprint's 3g footprint

[k_187]

I believe that Sprint can roam onto Verizon 3g if there's no Sprint signal. Works the other way around too, but there's more places with a Verizon but no Sprint signal (as opposed to Sprint but no Verizon).

Ok, so they're now another iPad retailer

[the_humeister]

What's the big deal? You still can't directly use Verzon's network on the iPad.

Re:Ok, so they're now another iPad retailer

[Anonymous Coward]

Agreed. Sounds like Verizon is just trying to elbow in on some of the iPad sales revenues.

Re:Ok, so they're now another iPad retailer

[Overzeetop]

Exactly what I thought. I wondered if they gave you a roll of duct tape, too.

This smacks of a bit of desperation. Can you only get the $20 mifi if you buy the iPad? A mifi for $20/mo is the real news. Right now the cheapest monthly plan is $40 for 250MB. Ouch.

Re:1gb for "just" $20 a month?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey fucking retard. I can't get tmobile service where I live because their coverage is shit. If I drive 20min north I can get edge via tmobile.

Yeah sure

[Anonymous Coward]

If you think the rates are bad, look the rates we have in Canada. There's a reason why the iPhone is not as popular in Canada as in other countries, USA included.

Apple to Youtube is what AOL to Internet.

[Phizzle]

Apple doesnt let you watch youtube per se, just their castrated version of it. Apple to youtube is what AOL to Internet.

*gb/month

[dazedNconfuzed]

[quietly gloats over $30/mo unlimited]
[quietly laments strangling of XX&X users with subsequent bandwidth-capped service]

LAPtop

[dazedNconfuzed]

Yeah, you can get a 3G laptop for less. But then you'd have to use it...

See, the problem with a laptop is the need for a lap. For most practical purposes, you have to set it down, unfold it, and use it with both hands.
The iPad, being a slim tablet less than half the thickness & weight of your laptop, excels at anytime-anywhere use: checking email while walking down a hall, reading ebooks in bed, web browsing on the train, games while curled up on the couch, listening to noise-suppressing music at work, checking house prices while driving thru a neighborhood, writing a book in the few-minute gaps between tasks/events, looking up conversation subjects over lunch, making VoIP calls walking to the car, checking traffic & weather when starting the car, trading stocks the moment you hear news of market activity, looking up & ordering books when a friend suggests one, reviewing news over breakfast, finding a suitable nearby restaurant while going out with friends, ... and yes, browsing pictures and watching YouTube - all when dragging your bigger, heavier, origami of a laptop just isn't feasible, and doing it on a phone is just to small to stand.

Re:LAPtop

[Pojut]

I don't think anyone but the most die-hard haters would say the iPad is useless. What they're saying that you're paying more money for the same internal hardware. The form factor is very useful for a variety of things, but when it amounts to a netbook without a keyboard while carrying the possibility of costing twice as much, the price-to-usefulness ratio goes out the window.

I don't care how smooth it runs, I don't care how useful it is...paying up to twice as much for a netbook with half as much hardware doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

Re:LAPtop

[ColdWetDog]

checking email while walking down a hall, reading ebooks in bed, web browsing on the train, games while curled up on the couch, listening to noise-suppressing music at work, checking house prices while driving thru a neighborhood, writing a book in the few-minute gaps between tasks/events, looking up conversation subjects over lunch, making VoIP calls walking to the car, checking traffic & weather when starting the car, trading stocks the moment you hear news of market activity, looking up & ordering books when a friend suggests one, reviewing news over breakfast, finding a suitable nearby restaurant while going out with friends, ... and yes, browsing pictures and watching YouTube -

You might consider upping your Ritalin dose.

Re:LAPtop

[Anonymous Coward]

This is what many pro-laptop proposers are not envisioning. Using a laptop to watch a movie while standing (say on a subway), or while walking (I read all the time while walking and have never tripped - even during elementary school where kids try on purpose - good peripheral vision is key), since it is an "L" shaped gizmo, is awkward to balance compared to cradling a tablet shaped one in such situations. I am commuting over an hour each way on public transport. A laptop isn't what I want, nor is a simple portable DVD player.

Re:LAPtop

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't hear anyone talking about the screen and its usage compared to a netbook. First of all, the iPad screen is, simply, gorgeous. Very high quality, very effective touch-screen interface. The netbook screens I've seen have lowest-bidder commodity screens (and look it). Second, iOS is designed for full-screen usage and lets you use every pixel for useful stuff. Most netbooks run Windows, which insists on squandering vast tracts of screen real estate for useless information.

In my opinion, and that's all it is, Macs have always made much more efficient use of the display. I'm perfectly comfortable using a 1280x800 screen on my MacBook for writing, photo editing, iMovie editing, programming, etc. The same size screen on my work laptop seems cramped and uncomfortable, like a pair of jeans or black turtleneck a size too small. Apple has done and continues to to their homework on the interface. People can't always point their finger at the difference, but it is noticeable. Noticeable in a Lexus vs Lincoln way, not a wall power vs $3000 custom filtered power supply for your stereo way.

Yes, I know Windows 7 is gorgeous-er than XP. And I know I can hide the task bar, etc. That's not the point. The point is that Apple sweats the details while Microsoft copies the look. Think of the 70's era Ford Grenada -- "it looks just like a Mercedes!" and falls apart after 70,000 miles. The iPad has a different feel, one that people like. That feel isn't an accident or Steve Job's RDF, it's the result of endless interface polishing.

..needs to needs now...

[nurb432]

Why? its working out quite well for the pseudo-monopolies.

What constitutes equivalent?

[dazedNconfuzed]

I could sell you a desktop computer powered by a car battery for even less.

Yes, useful form factor costs extra.

Re:What constitutes equivalent?

[Anonymous Coward]

The "form-factor" doesn't drive up the price that much. Apple is overcharging because, well, they can and should; they exist to make money, and for a variety of reasons the iPad can sell at a very high margin.

All that Pojut is saying is that he cannot justify paying that much mark-up at this point in time. Some people don't mind paying the mark-up because they enjoy being early adopters; some don't. And that's okay :P

what countries have unlimited mobile data plans?

[Anonymous Coward]

i'm just curious

Once the data costs go down, I'm in...

[rAiNsT0rm]

The soaking for data has to stop. I have had a cell phone since the early days of the Motorola Teletacs... they were analog which took up a ton more bandwidth and I had a high minute plan with unlimited nights and weekends for $20/month. Then after things went digital and the load on the carrier dropped significantly it became the norm to pay $40-50 for less minutes and the same N/W plan. B.S. Then the new rage of smartphones with the forced $30+ additional per month and it's ridiculous. I refuse to pay it. I refuse to buy a smartphone or a product like this until the prices become reasonable. I'd love to own one, but there just is no way I'm paying the insane amounts being asked right now by some carriers.

It blows my mind that so many kids/teens have smartphones and are shelling out thousands of dollars per year on them... I can enjoy a nice week or two vacation someplace awesome for that kind of money. And they wonder why they are always broke or can't afford anything.

(sorry if this sounds too Get off my lawn-ish, but it's the truth... I remember when nickles had pictures of bumblebees on them.)

Re:Once the data costs go down, I'm in...

[maxume]

Did your $20 plan provide a nationwide network and long distance?

Re:Once the data costs go down, I'm in...

[rAiNsT0rm]

Yes, long distance was no issue, it was nation-wide but there were also far less towers everywhere so roaming was an issue at times but nothing major. The analog phones were also higher-powered so signal was excellent. I was able to get service with my old Teletac in places newer phones have nothing. I'm not saying it was some magical device, they had their limitations too back then, but overall $20 bought far more than current digital plans offer. The phones were also still subsidized back then so that wasn't part of it either.

Or an even cheaper route...

[RapmasterT]

Is available for jailbroken iphones and rooted androids. The unlimited data service I already pay for on my Android EVO made it seem really silly in the extreme to buy ANOTHER wireless data service when I bought my ipad. So I rooted the phone and set up wireless tethering without paying anyone, including Sprint, another dime.

This endless process of buying the exact same service over and over for different devices has got to stop. ONE wireless data device should be able to serve as your personal data gateway for all others. And with very little time investment on my part, my EVO now does.

Re:Or an even cheaper route...

[dave024]

I thought Android 2.2 had this capability by default. Of course with the iPhone you can do this if you jailbreak and install MyWi (or another program). I didn't get the 3G iPad since I always carry my phone, and MyWi is a good alternative for when I want to use my iPad away from WiFi.

Re:Or an even cheaper route...

[dnahelicase]

I'm not sure about Sprint, but I know you aren't allowed to use AT&T's tubes for free. You should probably turn yourself in.

Re:Or an even cheaper route...

[RapmasterT]

Android directly supports it by default, as in the OS includes the function. Sprint however charges an extra fee ($30 I think) to use this feature. So it's a little like saying your cable box supports pay-per-view, it just aint free to use it.

The good thing: a no-contract $20 data plan

[Jon_S]

What intrigued me is the no-contract $20 data plan. I got a spot in the boonies that has no DSL or cable access, but can get VZW (but no other carriers). I don't want to spend $60/month for a MiFi device with a 2-yr commitment. If I read the reports right, this comes with a $20 data plan, and no committments, so perhaps one can turn it on an off as needed. Hoepfully I read that right.

Yeah, Yeah, I know - 1 GB/mo. But that's 1 GB/mo. more than what I got now.

So I'm saying I would buy it for the MiFi and the plan, not for the iPad. Of course the money I save would be eaten up by the iPad cost, but I could sell that on e-bay.

Or did I read one of them there internet articles wrong?

iPad cell phone

[dogmatixpsych]

The other nice thing about this is by using one of the VoIP apps, you can use the iPad as a "cell phone" if needed (or you can purchase an iPod Touch + MiFi + a VoIP app and have something similar in a small form factor).

Why is Apple succeeding in a "down" economy?

[aristotle-dude]

I see a lot of people on here complaining about Apple's margins but I have to ask you all, which hardware company is pushing innovation in the tech industry? The answer is Apple. Apple could follow everyone else in the race to the bottom and possibly sell more units if they could find more manufacturing capacity, more IPS displays and more flash memory but even at the current price point, they are selling every unit they can manufacture. Lower margins only benefit the consumer in the short term and you eventually end up with stagnation of innovation. We see this in the PC industry industry to a large extent and even more so in the NETBOOK category. It is 2010 for crying out loud and yet you have netbooks with 1 GB of ram and slow processor for sale. Without any margin, there is no incentive to innovate and no room to "upgrade" specs if everyone is demanding a bottom basement price point. Apple uses their margins to innovate in hardware design and development of OS X and iOS. Without that margin, we never would have seen the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad or we would have been paying through the nose for those iOS devices and paying hundreds of dollars for every upgrade of OS X.

People are buying Apple products in the down economy because of their reputation for quality and a high resale value. Sure, you could buy a dell or some Android tablet but it will be obsolete within a year and have almost zero resale value whereas an Apple device is going to be upgradable to the new version of OS for at least a year or two and it will retain a higher resale value because of this.

I would rather spend my money wisely on something that will last me for year than buy something for less that will be obsolete within a year and I would rather help fund innovation of technology than figuring out how to make a product cheaper.