Mifi

I have complained on numerous occasions about our inability to purchase an iphone in North Dakota. I suppose to be fair, this is more an AT&T problem than an Apple problem

I now have a solution. We purchased a mifi as an alternative to the USB evdo device we have been using when we travel. The mifi is about the size of a credit card and maybe 1/3 inch thick. Think of it as EVDO connected to a wireless router. This evening three of us are using the device simultaneously. It works great with my iPhone Touch. I can put the mifi in my pocket and take a walk while listening to Pandora on my touch.

The down side is the cost. We pay $60 per month for 5 gigs. This just seems a little high. Maybe $60 for unlimited access or $40 for 5 gigs. Perhaps it will come down, but I have heard the the popularity of the iPhone is degrading the quality of connections in California so the issue may be that the network cannot keep up. I don’t know if 5 gigs will be a problem, but I plan to check after this weekend. I don’t do much video from my laptop and have little idea of how much content a few hours of general use involves. Wish I understood the actual cost of cell phone access. Some seem to think future devices that are upgrades of smartphones will have great educational value. Not at $60 per month for 5 gigs.