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1. ghar72
   Member Profile

   There's always much ranting and raving about Comcast on here. I recently read an article in the NYTimes about Virgin's new mobile modem. Costs $150 up front and then $40/month with no contract. You can take it with you and it provides a bubble of internet connectivity (excuse my lack of proper terminology) for any device...touch, laptop, desktop etc. Coverage includes West Seattle and looks like all of Seattle from the map. Unfortunately it's sold out right now, no doubt from the NYT rave.
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   Couple links for you check it out for yourself. And if anyone has experience with it, love to hear about it. I'm pretty ready to buy, as soon as they're back in stock. But I'd also like hear others impressions of the technology, those who have the technological expertise I lack. Do you think it's really as good (fast! reliable!) as it sounds???
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   http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-broadband/mifi-2200.html
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   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/personaltech/02pogue.html

   Posted 1 year ago #         

2. JoB
   Member Profile

   the business mdoel is a good one..
   but the technology might not be so good.

   CLEAR claims coverage for West Seattle too..
   but coverage at my house went from spotty to nonexistent... it's all int he placement ans signal strength of the towers:(

   We use Ooma for our household phone provider.. and it works on a similar business model ... you buy the equipment and then pay a small fee for upgraded service...

   unfortunately.. OOma's quality depends upon the quality of your internet service since it is VOIP.

   I may have to go back to a household land line with QWEST as my deteriorating hearing and VOIP aren't the greatest combination:(

   Posted 1 year ago #         

3. johnnyblegs
   Member Profile

   

   I want to like this device. I guess I don't because I'm not the "person on the go" that it sounds like it caters to. The idea of making your car a hotspot (or anywhere you are a hotspot) is a great idea but I'm not that person. I like to surf at home (or work, shhh) and the $145 price for the device...

   I really wish they would make a device that would plug into your tv that feeds off your wireless router, you switch to your input channel and viola! you can choose from millions of online video sites. I can do that now when I plug my computer into my tv but it's hard to read text on the tv and difficult to navigate the web that way.

   I'm not talking about the ROKU box because I find it limited in offerings and I'm not talking about a PS3 or xbox because I don't play games. Is there anything like that out there? I'd pay $145 for that.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

4. JoB
   Member Profile

   i also find the ROKU limited.. though as more are purchased the content should enlarge.

   and yes.. i would pay $145 for that too.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

5. brew
   Member Profile

   Wired Magazine had a decent article on "how to quit cable"

   http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_howto_watchtv/

   Posted 1 year ago #         

6. JoB
   Member Profile

   i looked more closely at the Virgin mobile device and beyond the fact that is is 3G which has it's limitations ... the pricing is based on the same models used by most cell phone companies and is less straightforward than indicated:(

   my daughter uses her blackberry as a wifi hotspot without extra charges... I don't know if my droid can do that too as i haven't tried... but it is worth checking out since my data access contract with them is unlimited and i do travel with a netbook...

   so many possibilities..
   so many pitfalls:(

   Posted 1 year ago #         

7. datamuse
   Member Profile

   

   I like it--I AM one of those "on the go" people who would like to be able to take my access with me--but I think I'll wait for reliability to go up and pricing to go down.

   My iPad has 3G capability, but I can turn it on and off depending on whether there is (cheaper, and often faster) wireless Internet available. I expect one could do the same with this device.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

8. Andy
   Member Profile

   Johnnyblegs,

   I just got a blu-ray player for about $160 that connects to my wireless router, accesses netflix, some hulu movie site, another pay-per-view type service, pandora, mlb.tv, and a couple of other things. Links to my computer wirelessly, too, so I can look at any pictures/videos/files I have on there. All operated via the remote control.

   That sound at all like what you are after?

   Posted 1 year ago #         

9. johnnyblegs
   Member Profile

   

   It sounds a lot like the ROKU box except that it can access the HULU site (which is essential I think) and media on the computer (but you need your computer on to access those files right?) But are you able go to ANY website you want?

   Does the blu-ray player work on standard old tv's? Do you know if it can play regular ol' dvds?

   Posted 1 year ago #         

10. clark5080
    Member Profile

    

    Roku is adding the hulu plus service shortly

    Posted 1 year ago #         

11. Andy
    Member Profile

    "Does the blu-ray player work on standard old tv's? Do you know if it can play regular ol' dvds?"

    It does have analog outputs, and it do, indeed, play regular old DVDs. It claims to "upconvert" them, as my research suggests many players do now, and I gather that to mean that your regular old dvds will look better than they would on a regular old dvd player.

    Can't browse the internet, but I did forget to mention that along with the other services, it has youtube.

    Posted 1 year ago #         

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