Advice on 3G laptop

Steffano2002

Good evening,

I am thinking about buying a 3G laptop as my employer provides me with a free SIM card for "Internet Everywhere".

This laptop will be for my studies (think Windows 7 with MS Office) and general use such as internet browsing (no gaming or anything extreme).

I am looking to get some opinions on "the best bang for buck" laptop out there for me and that is why I am posting here!

However, no point in recommending great deals from Komplett or PC World as I am located in Switzerland and will probably source this laptop from a local seller (importing goods can prove costly and tedious).

Thank you in advance for your time and opinions!

Alanstrainor

budget?

3g internet will be possible with a usb dongle, no need to buy a laptop with an integrated slot.

Steffano2002

Alanstrainor wrote: »

budget?

3g internet will be possible with a usb dongle, no need to buy a laptop with an integrated slot.

Of course, budget! I'm thinking around CHF 700/800 tops which is about 650 EUR.

As for the dongle, I'm desperately trying to avoid going down that road as they simply do my head in!

Overheal

Steffano2002 wrote: »

As for the dongle, I'm desperately trying to avoid going down that road as they simply do my head in!

Surely, Irish carriers provide Wireless Hotspots as an alternative to USB Modems? Vodafone.ie appears to offer plans that are half the cost of comparable US plans. Granted, it's only 3G, and those US plans are 4G LTE.. Still, I am looking at o2 and vodafone prices and am impressed by the vast difference in cost.

Torqay

I'd also recommend a mobile hotspot. With a hotspot you're not limited to one device and you wouldn't have to move the laptop all around the place in your quest for best reception.

And they can be swapped for another model with a newer standard (after all, LTE should arrive here "in the coming years", fingers crossed)

Steffano2002

Hi guys,

I want to avoid having a USB dongle attached to my laptop (they are a pain, especially when commuting in the train) I really want a SIM card slot in the laptop.

My work laptop has a SIM card slot and it is so handy that I want the same for my "school laptop"!

So, any advice guys!?

theidiots

You know the portable wifi one that acts like a wireless modem. http://www.three.ie/online/shop/productDetail.aspx?src=p&p=data&pid=1689&tariffType=prepay
I think you would be better off with one of those but then again I have no idea what the coverage is like in Switzerland. In Ireland you'd have to sit by a window or move the laptop around constantly to get a signal

Overheal

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I want to avoid having a USB dongle attached to my laptop (they are a pain, especially when commuting in the train) I really want a SIM card slot in the laptop.

My work laptop has a SIM card slot and it is so handy that I want the same for my "school laptop"!

So, any advice guys!?

You're not listening,

A mobile broadband card is an autonomous, battery powered 3G device that creates a local WiFi hotspot for connection of up to 5-10 laptops/PCs/tablets/printers/WiFi-enabled-vibrators/etc. all at the same time. The unit requires no physical connection to your laptop, it just needs to be within range - typically, about 30 feet. For all intents and purposes its a pocket WiFi router that is smaller than the average mobile phone. And yes, it runs on a SIM Card. These devices are the ultimate successor to the usb dongle, rendering the usb dongle obsolete.

We suggest one of these devices because its separation from your laptop means you can use it with ANY laptop, so your choice of laptops is vastly broadened. Its also then only thing you can use with most tablets, which don't have usb ports and only have 3G embedded if you fancy paying a couple extra hundred euro and limiting your choices to two or three kinds of tablet, instead of ~50. Secondly, if you wish, you can swap or upgrade the laptop or hotspot for faster devices at a later date, separate from each other. How stupid would you feel spending $1000 on a 3G laptop when faster 4G LTE speeds become available? Pretty damn stupid, I'm guessing.

Alanstrainor

Just in addition to Overheal's info, no laptop comes to mind in that price range that will come with a 3g modem integrated.

Typically laptops with these would be high end business orientated laptops. It's not completely out of the question that you'll find one in budget, but your options will be severely limited.

We're all just trying to help

there are not many laptops that come with integrated 3G anymore so by insisting on that you are really limiting your choice.
use a dongle or hotspot.

Steffano2002

Thank you for all your responses! I thought that 3G laptops would become more and more available as opposed to being hard to find. Why aren't laptop manufacturers not capitalizing on 3G technology is beyond me...

As my smart phone has Wifi hotspot capabilities I'll simply use that and forget about getting a 3G laptop.

Thanks again for your input!

Overheal

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Thank you for all your responses! I thought that 3G laptops would become more and more available as opposed to being hard to find. Why aren't laptop manufacturers not capitalizing on 3G technology is beyond me...

Because:

As my smart phone has Wifi hotspot capabilities I'll simply use that and forget about getting a 3G laptop.

You just answered your own question. The technology does not need to be embedded in every device, unlike Wifi. If you operate multiple wifi devices in close proximity, you can operate them all on one 3G hotspot.

Disadvantage to phone hotspots,

-depending on your carrier, you may lose the ability to make calls or text messages while the hotspot is operating

-will severely impact your phone's battery life
-which in turn also means your phone is going to run a lot hotter, which in the long run, is not a great thing altogether for a phone

Not to mention that depending on your carrier you may incur extra charges for using that feature.

Dedicated devices meanwhile, are designed to do it as their primary function. Phones have the feature as an "I need it once in a while" use.