Future Apple Notebooks To Get 3G Wireless?

[Clive At Five]

No... Wrong.

Cell phones will soon be moving away from 3G and towards Wi-Max.

3G, globally, is more on the way out than it is on the way in (even though the same might not be true in America). Besides, enabling it in a laptop would be pointless. Who on earth is going to want to pay phone companies an arm and a leg on a data-plan when they can go to the nearest coffee shop and surf for free? Enough places in the US have free Wi-Fi to render 3G-enabled laptops utterly useless.

And to counter the already-brewing "noisy, busy hot-spot argument," 1) First that's ridiculous. I've been to many-a hotspot and have never had major issues concentrating. 2) invest in a $30 pair of noise-canceling headphones... or at least a pair that will muffle out other sound.

Wi-Max, people. It might be hype right now, but it's based on the already-existing technology in out laptops today, which means easier asimilation, unlike 3G... plus no/low freaking data plan fees!

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been."

Anyone who believes this report is foolish.

-Clive

 

[toneloco2881]

There are multi-band HSDPA cards available now. Just because the phones and some of the cards marketed by the companies aren't tri-band, there's no reason to expect that the card in the computer would not be multi-band. Everyone likes to bitch about the US cellular industry...I'm no exception. But we ought to at least keep bitching to reality and not invent new problems....

Very true! I guess I'm just a little angry b/c while "some" companies are putting out multi-band 3g phones/cards the vast majority still do not. Once Cingular, and T-Mobile expand their network we may begin to see more companies begin to offer compatible handsets..etc. Thanks for the info btw. I wasn't aware of that particular handset.

 

[mkrishnan]

Enough places in the US have free Wi-Fi to render 3G-enabled laptops utterly useless.

It seems to me that people who make use of EV-DO and UMTS use them in places where this isn't feasible. For instance, the practicality of business meetings is that there is WiFi installed there, but it is on a network (of your customer's or vendors) to which you may not have access. The people in sales I know who use data services need to be able to use it when they are, where they are. For casual users, sure, of course, hotspots are fine.

Wi-Max, people.

Is there a website you can point me to that offers a search for WiMAX service providers based on zip code or prefix or what-have-you? I know that there was a pilot service in Jacksonville using (I think) 802.16-2004, but I'm not sure how much Florida coverage has improved since then. Thanks!

Very true! I guess I'm just a little angry b/c

Yeah, I totally feel your frustration. I completely agree that the way US cellular works is insane. Hopefully things will slowly get better. GSM for instance has made a lot of progress since AT&T/Cingular went from TDMA to GSM and T-Mobile entered the US. But there doesn't seem to be any time in the immediate future when the US will have even a set of interoperable standards, let alone one standard. GSM and related technologies (including UMTS) is still the best bet, though. Most global coverage, and reasonably good US coverage.

 

[daschor]

3G is more useful than WiFi

No... Wrong.

Cell phones will soon be moving away from 3G and towards Wi-Max.

Yes, over the next two to five years Wi-Max is expected to take over much of the traffic currently using 3G bandwidth.

3G, globally, is more on the way out than it is on the way in (even though the same might not be true in America). Besides, enabling it in a laptop would be pointless. Who on earth is going to want to pay phone companies an arm and a leg on a data-plan when they can go to the nearest coffee shop and surf for free? Enough places in the US have free Wi-Fi to render 3G-enabled laptops utterly useless.

Enabling 3G in a latop is anything but pointless. There are potentially millions of people willing to pay for the convenience of internet anywhere. Perhaps you are forgetting that the United States is a huge country, and that large parts have cellular service, but no coffee shops. I would rather pay $60 a month for 3G service than spend that much on coffee just to check my email. If you think 3G-enabled laptops are useless, then don't buy one. I personally think 3G is the best game in town right now for internet service on the road. I use it everywhere - home, work, travelling, in the car.. everywhere.

Wi-Max, people. It might be hype right now, but it's based on the already-existing technology in out laptops today, which means easier asimilation, unlike 3G... plus no/low freaking data plan fees!

Yes, it is hype right now - and 3G is really happening right now. Until Wi-Max is mature and widely deployed, 3G is the mobile internet of choice.

Anyone who believes this report is foolish.

Perhaps, but it would be nice to have 3G support built-in.

 

[schmidp]

In Austria network providers are currently doing heavy marketing for mobile data plans. Many people start using mobile data plans instead of fixed line ones.

For example my mother switched from a 2mbit up/down plan for 65 dollars a month to a 7.2mbit mobile plan for 30 dollars a month.
(the mobile plan only has 1.5gb transfer volume, but she doesn't need more).

If Apple included 3g in their notebooks, I'd think about switching as well.

lg philipp

 

[miniConvert]

I already have a 3G data contract. I have a little USB HSDPA modem/dongle in anticipation of getting a Mac laptop, but being able to slip my SIM into the sexy Apple-styled casing and do away with ugly add-ons would be fandabbatastic

With 3G in a laptop (HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS) you really can be connected almost anywhere. Dell, Lenovo and others have been integrating 3G into their pro laptops for some time now, so much so that I've considered a Dell Latitude several times. An integrated Apple module would have me reaching for my plastic.

From a UK POV - I appreciate that our market is quite unique.

 

[xsedrinam]

Ecuador will go with Wi-Max (Guayaquil) in September and apparently a good number of Latin American countries latinwimax are going there, as well.

 

[true777]

WiMax isn't going to help you for a long time still if you're interested in being on-line in your car, on the beach, in small villages, out in nature, or on a train (except for if you're on BART in San Francisco, of course!).

I still think 3G is a viable solution, and just as in Europe the price went down pretty fast with increased usage and increased competition the same will happen in the US.

In Europe many people are cancelling their home broadband (DSL, cable, etc.) service account and use their 3G connection exclusively -- at home AND on the road. So if you're saving $40/month on your cancelled home internet and pay $60 for nationwide wireless broadband instead, the additional $20/month doesn't seem high considering you'll never have to be on the lookout for a WiFi spot again, won't have to pay for internet access on airports, etc., *and* are connected at 7.2Mbit/sec wherever there is cell phone reception, nationwide.

And: No more coffee, no more sitting in cramped cafes just to check your email, etc.

 

[NYC567user]

While it is a good idea on paper, the reality of today's 3G module chipsets on laptops are different. For example go and get a Sony VIAO with any of the carrier's supposedly "Fast WWAN"...you will get either EDGE or EVDO-Rev 0....only the really new models carry HSDPA, or REV-A....if any.

Many times when you need support...the carrier says that it's "a manufacturer problem" (sony, lenovo, dell, etc.)...and the manufacturer will say that it's a carrier problem..the good old "that is their fault routine." Perhaps here Apple can change the model by owning the process and taking care of it.

Another reality is the time delay when new PCMCIA/Express Cards HSDPA cards or Rev A cards came out...the manufacters/carriers were about 3 to 6 months late to release upgrade chipset modules or bios....where the regular PCMCIA cards were already out. Some manufacturers decided not to release any upgrade modules at all. so if you ar e atechie who likes the latest gadgets..this is not your route.

Also, when you break your laptop/screen/keyboard..many time you can't just move your account to another laptop due to the enabling process used by some of the carriers....

So for the convenience of not carrying around an HSDPA/ EVDO RevA card...you will have to give up speed to market, true one location support, and not too flexible account migration.

So hopefully Mac will change the model of support and manufacturing. That remains to be seen.

One lst thing..these chisets are locked to a specific carrier..which means f you want to cahnge carriers...there is plenty of research on your laptop model...or just buy one of their supported new models...

 

[twoodcc]

this would be neat. not sure if i'd use it or not though

 

[Cult Follower]

Maybe they should hurry and get this out, they need an ultraportable.

 

[SilvorX]

If it was to happen soon in Canada as well, it wouldn't be recommended, because the only 2 (well one) GSM carrier in the nation has outrageous data prices, where half a gigabyte of transfer costs just over $200/month, if it was cheaper, it would be a decent option, I'd love to browse the net on my Mac via EDGE/HSDPA myself.. if only it was cheaper

 

[kerpow]

It really depends where you are. I don't know of anywhere near me that offers **free** wifi access. But I have a Vodafone 3G card from work that I can use absolutely anywhere I want.

I think this, if it happens, would be great for Europe but not so much for the US.

 

[Dunepilot]

kerpow - Quite a few pubs in London offer it for free, though for some odd reason the coffee shops moved from a free to a charging model a year or two ago. I'm sitting in the Assembly Rooms in Kentish town right now, connected for free via someone's Belkin router. I'll assume it's the pub's for sake of argument!

Also, most of Islington is covered by a free wireless service provided by the council - see http://www.islington.net/islington.nsf/home

 

[miniConvert]

I think this, if it happens, would be great for Europe but not so much for the US.

I think that's really the main problem. I sometimes get the impression that Apple is very loyal to its core American base, and that (almost?) all products start in the US and filter outwards as necessary. Time spent perfecting integrated 3G that will find its core market outside of Apple's own? I think they've too many other things on their plate.

Edit: BUT, that doesn't detract from just how fantastic an 'always-connected' Mac laptop would be for those of us who use 3G data.

 

[kerpow]

kerpow - Quite a few pubs in London offer it for free, though for some odd reason the coffee shops moved from a free to a charging model a year or two ago. I'm sitting in the Assembly Rooms in Kentish town right now, connected for free via someone's Belkin router. I'll assume it's the pub's for sake of argument!

Thats fair enough, but I don't really take computers to the pub, more interesting things to do there.

Whatever works for you though, you're lucky that your council provide that kind of access for you.

 

[mkrishnan]

Thats fair enough, but I don't really take computers to the pub, more interesting things to do there.

We went really early (i.e. happy hour time) to the Irish pub here in town once and were shocked to realize that they have wireless and that people were hanging out with their laptop. It would never in a million years have occurred to me to bring my iBook or any other work materials to Durty Nelly's.