NetbookTech

Now here’s an interesting deal for those of you who are Verizon Wireless customers or thinking about moving to the mobile carrier. Verizon is currently offering a deal where you can buy a BlackBerry Storm2 and get a select BlackBerry or Mobile Broadband Device for free. What makes this interesting of course is the selection of Mobile Broadband Devices you can choose from should you not be interested in a second BlackBerry handset. Those of you looking to get a new Mobile Broadband-enabled netbook could pick up a Gateway LT2016u netbook free with this deal.. OR you could opt for the Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot (should you already have a netbook at home). The Hotspot is a nice device to have because it lets you share that mobile broadband connection with up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices. Keep in mind of course that you’ll need to select a data plan for that second free device…

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If you’re looking to add a mobile broadband connection but you’re not quite willing to commit to a long term contract, then you’ll be interested in Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go service. Best Buy’s offering the USB based Broadband2Go Wireless Card for $149.99. In addition, Best Buy is currently offering a $20 dollar refill card for the service. Definitely not a bad deal for people who would love the convenience of mobile broadband but don’t need it all the time.

There are days I love my netbook.

AND then there are days I really love my netbook. Today just happens to be one of those days. I’m sitting in complete darkness thanks to a blackout that seems to have decided to hit a large swath of West LA. No power translates to nothing operational at home which also means I’ve got no Internet connectivity at home..

Ah but wait.. there are two devices that are indeed working for me – my iPhone and my Samsung NC10 netbook. The iPhone has several hours of charge on it assuming I use it sparingly right now and my NC10 has approximately three hours of power left – primarily because I was using it for a few hours the other day and I forgot to charge it back up. Darn ME!

But wait. I digress.. This is where my love affair for my netbook is renewed once again. You see surfing on the net via the iPhone is fun to a certain extent. However after the umpteenth time of resizing a web page to fit nicely into the small display, it gets rather old rather quickly. This is where my netbook with lots of hours of power comes into play. I’m sitting here in pitch blackness with my NC10 connected to the net via AT&T mobile broadband service and I’m loving it! THANK YOU GOD!

Of course being the proprietor of NetbookTech means I have several netbooks on hand to use. Once the NC10 goes down, I’ll switch over to my new Gateway LT3103u which should have about 4 hours of power. After that’s done.. well then I believe it’s time to sleep.

So.. lesson learned: Always have a netbook fully charged. Always have a netbook with loads of battery life. TRY to have mobile broadband handy.. AND MAKE SURE TO HAVE CANDLES WHEN THERE’S A BLACKOUT!

Here’s a potential great addition to netbook users out there. If you’re looking to get a little mobile broadband in your life but don’t want to commit to long term contracts then you’ll want to check out Virgin Mobile’s new  Broadband2Go prepaid mobile broadband service.

Running on top of Sprint’s EVDO Rev A network, Broadband2Go allows you to purchase slices of megabytes at set prices. To get started, you’ll need to purchase the Novatel Ovation MC760 USB modem for $149.99. Then you’ll need to pick a pre-paid allotment:

• $10 dollars for 100MB of data which expires in 10 days
• $20 dollars for 250MB of data which expires in 30 days
• $40 dollars for 600MB of data which expires in 30days
• $60 dollars for 1GB of data which expires in 30 days

The system also comes with a Novatel connection management software application which provides a usage meter allowing you to keep track of where you’re at with your service allotment. This service is ideal for someone who performs light mobile broadband usage here and there. It’s not for the heavy broadband user.

[Check it out via PC Magazine, Krunker.com]

[Reprinted from Krunker.com] Sony announced today that Qualcomm’s Gobi mobile Internet technology will be coming to select VAIO notebook systems. Devices with the Gobi chipset can connect to a wide variety of high speed mobile broadband services all around the world – basically wherever you can make a mobile phone call, you’ll be able to access the Internet (of course it’ll cost ya to connect to the service provider). The beauty of having Gobi embedded in the notebook? There’s no need for external dongle devices when you’re not in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot – everything is built right into the notebook and it’s optimized for battery, radio, and throughput performance.

Sony will initially unveil Gobi technology in three ultra-portable models – the VAIO Z, TT, and the new P series. Expect variations by region also.

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Beginning tomorrow, Vodafone UK will be offering a mobile broadband service which includes a free Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook. Two packages will be made available – a 1 GB two year package for £25 a month and a 2GB two year package for £30 a month. Each package comes with a free Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook which the folks at TrustedReviews reviewed here on their website. They had this to say about the netbook.

If you want a “connected” netbook then the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 on Vodafone is your best bet right now. Available for free on some attractive contracts, it’s the only netbook to offer integrated HSDPA. That it’s found inside a cohesively designed, attractive and highly portable chassis only adds to the appeal.

Again – if you’re in the UK and you’re thinking about getting mobile broadband services, then check out Vodafone’s offerings – especially since the Mini 9 comes free as a result.

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