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Clear iSpot
- Thread starter hcho3
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I'm thinking of giving it a shot. I'd really only be interested if it worked for all my devices (mac mini, asus laptop) and not just my iPhone. I can't see a way that it WOULDN'T work with these though, so who knows. Anyone know if they can really keep this from working with a PC or Mac Mini? I think it just uses B/G wifi...
I live in Baltimore City and Clear 4G service will give me around 6-10MB download per second. Which is A LOT FASTER THAN my AT&T 3G service. With AT&T, I barely get even 1MB. With that being said, I don't see how this is not going to work with imac devices. Why would they make it work with 8 Wi-fi devices then? I MEAN Seriously? I already have family with 2 iphones and 1 ipad, so this 25 dollars a month will make a good investment anyway.
I'd be all for it--the device price (today anyway) and the $25 no contract rate is perfect for what I want for occasional connectivity for my wifi only iPad. But their nationwide coverage is really spotty--nothing at all in Denver for example, where we have family and visit regularly.
Sigh. Back to either the JB/mywi idea or the Virgin Mobile myfi unit, which uses Sprint's 3G network with a pay as you go plan.
Sigh. Back to either the JB/mywi idea or the Virgin Mobile myfi unit, which uses Sprint's 3G network with a pay as you go plan.
There are having a 1-day sale today..
$30 for the device and $25/mo no contract for people that live in their coverage areas.
http://www.clear.com/
The one downside is that this device is restricted to ONLY apple products (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, no work on MacBooks). The rumors is that it looks up the MAC address and only allows Apple products to connect.
$30 for the device and $25/mo no contract for people that live in their coverage areas.
http://www.clear.com/
The one downside is that this device is restricted to ONLY apple products (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, no work on MacBooks). The rumors is that it looks up the MAC address and only allows Apple products to connect.
I dug around on their site for a bit this morning. What I couldn't find was how to start and stop the no contract plan--in other words, if I know I'm going to need it for a trip (and they have coverage at my destination), How do I go about paying the month's fee, but then cancel it again in 30 days when it's no longer needed? If that was relatively easy to do online, I'd probably go for it, even though it's not going to work everywhere I go. But if it takes a phone call each time, it's just not going to happen. That's one big advantage to the Virgin Mobile mifi--activate online, and prepaid cards are available at Best Buy.
As for the usage limitation, it could also be looking at the OS: no iOS, no connection.
Thats a great question. I have no idea how it works, but I would imagine that once you sign up for a plan and an account, you would manage it from their internet site.
EDIT: Looking at their login page, it seems you can manage your account online. So I would think you can start and stop your plan from that page.
https://www.clear.com/my_account/signin.php
Thanks! More digging, starting from that point, turned up this:
https://www.clear.com/support/faq
(click on the iSpot tab for details)
After a fast read through that FAQ, I think they seem pretty focused on making this a full time service, not a true "as you need it" or Pay As You Go service. Stopping and starting, only using it a few times a year--not really what they intend to have you do. It's probably doable, they're just not interested at this time in making it relatively painless. I'll read it a little more thoroughly, but that combined with the other limitations...eh, not as impressed as I was at first glance. It'll be useful for some people, but I think many are going to be better off with other options.
Edit: on a closer look--to be fair, it can be done, and they don't limit how frequently you "suspend" service and resume it. The issue for me is their suspension period is 60 days, non extendable. There are going to be periods where I just don't need it enough to pay the $25 monthly fee to reactivate. I need to think this through.
Edit 2: well, after quite a bit of thought, it's still the coverage that's the deal breaker for me. I just isn't useful to me for travel, because there are so few areas that they cover in 4G, and this unit isn't compatible with their nationwide 3G coverage. Realistically, in my case, it just wouldn't get used--I have unlimited 3G on the iPhone that's reasonably fast, highspeed cable at home, wifi nearly everywhere I go, and this would barely cover a fraction of the travel I'd need it for for the remainder of the year. I honestly can't quite see how they'll make this a success without adding the more widespread 3G coverage.
Okay, forgive me for not understanding this, but since when is a MacBook not an Apple product? Pretty sure you meant to say its restricted to mobile devices...?
Im curious about whether or not the 3G backup kicks in if youre not in a 4G coverage area. As someone who travels a lot for work, I can see little of my needs would be met on 4G, but nearly all could work on 3G (which, as someone outside of the forum explained, operates on Sprints network). Anyone know that answer to that one?
Okay, forgive me for not understanding this, but since when is a MacBook not an Apple product? Pretty sure you meant to say its restricted to mobile devices...?
Im curious about whether or not the 3G backup kicks in if youre not in a 4G coverage area. As someone who travels a lot for work, I can see little of my needs would be met on 4G, but nearly all could work on 3G (which, as someone outside of the forum explained, operates on Sprints network). Anyone know that answer to that one?
The ispot clear is specifically for ios devices.
Also unfortunately it does not fall back to 3G.
I decided to revive this thread because CLEAR extended their Thursday sale for the iSpot 4G for just $20. I rushed to pick one up late last night only to be tweeted by @CLEAR to tell me they extended it.
Click here for all their sales: http://www.clear.com/holiday-sale
Of course, some people have been a bit resourceful and taken the iSpot to higher ground: http://ispotunrestricted.com/
(not affiliated with any of the products, services, or companies mentioned)
Click here for all their sales: http://www.clear.com/holiday-sale
Of course, some people have been a bit resourceful and taken the iSpot to higher ground: http://ispotunrestricted.com/
(not affiliated with any of the products, services, or companies mentioned)