Jeff Haywood asks for The Grand Rapids Press, “Can Apple’s iPad revolutionize the wireless industry?”
“While much of the buzz around Apple’s iPad is how the device may changing the publishing industry, there is a chance it could change the wireless industry,” Haywood reports.
Typically data offered by wireless companies comes in one of two ways:
• The wireless carriers offers subsidized smartphones at a discount that require a two-year contract.
• A customer can buy a wireless data device for laptops and other gadgets for $60 a month on a two-year contract.
Haywood reports, “But since the iPad is not subsidized by AT&T, there is no contract. For $15 a month, iPad users can have 250 MB of 3G data via AT&T. The ‘unlimited’ data plan (though most ‘unlimited’ plans have 5 GB limits) is available for $30.
“Users can turn on and off the wireless service from the iPad. So if someone needed the service during a vacation, they could pay $30 for the month and then turn the service off for the rest of the year and rely on Wi-Fi to connect,” Haywood reports. “The arrangement could be a game changer.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
@Power
Do your huge downloads on wi-fi on the iPad (It’s faster and free).
or
Do the downloads to your PC and then synch them to the iPad.
Not a big problem.
@Power
Have I got the girl for you ! Read the article-
‘Textaholic teen gets carpal tunnel from texting,
wants an Apple iPhone’
Unlimited contracts in Germany are in fact unlimited in volume, but after using up the nominal volume the throughput is restricted to a lower speed (64kbit/s).
You can then still access the internet, it’s just not as much fun any more.
The iPad data plan is the correct model and should be adopted for the iPhone. I’ve been reluctant to buy an iPhone because I’m mostly in a non-3G area and even more mostly (?) in a WiFi area. I love the functionality of the iPhone, but why spend $30 a month for service I can’t get? If AT&T;didn’t require the data plan for the iPhone, they’d probably see a drop in traffic. If someone pays for something, they’re going to use it as much as possible to maximize the value they get for their dollar spent. If they don’t have to spend the dollar, they’ll probably make a different decision.
I use the 3g/4g overdrive. In their 4g markets you get unlimited data and streaming for 60$. You can connect up to 5 devices to it. It has gps and works great! If you don’t get 4g coverage then it is 5gb limit on the 3g network. I have only 3g coverage but still use this with my iPod touch and laptop on the road. Use wifi at home for buying movies and such. I will use the ipad and hopefully by this summer have 4g available. The 4g also happens to be 10 times faster than 3g.