Still not sure if you want a RedFly ... think about Tethering

[Aware]

I was helping a friend research how he can tether his iPhone with his laptop to get internet anywhere. Since it's an iPhone, you have to go through a lot of hoops. Exactly what depends on your phone and your service provider apparently. Take a look at this thread for one possible set of hassles

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1246185&page=1&pp=15

If you have a Netbook or a full sized laptop that doesn't have some sort of mobile wireless card (not Wi-Fi) built in, you have to work out a way to achieve tethering with your phone. If you do have a card, then connection is easy, but yuo pay an additional $60 or so a month for connection.

Meanwhile, if you have a Redfly-supported phone with internet access all you do is plug in and go.

I found this particularly profound at a conference recently. People were lamenting poor wi-fi access in the conference rooms. I didn't care as I had my phone and my RedFly.

*most* places now have reliable cell phone access ... maybe sometime soon wi-fi will no longer be important as everyone will access the internet via their phones.

 

[donc36]

This is a huge advantage for the Redfly, and I'm surprised it's not brought up more often . I have a tilt, and while I can "technically" teather it to a laptop, to remain in compliance with my service agreement, it's an addon - an additional $30.00 a month in my case. That puts the redfly CN8 at a payback of about 10 months considering that alone!! I don't know many managers willing to pass up that ROI.

 

[mknollman]

Here Here

 

[josswest27#WP]

i was wondering though, wouldn't it be possible to use a windows smart phone as a modem without the alleged phone as modem add on option? and if so, wouldn't a netbook provide a better web surfing experience?

 

[Aware]

Depends on your phone, your provider and your tenacity. Here in America, most of the telephone service providers have you by the goolies and lock you out of tethering so they can charge you an arm and a leg for the privilege. Often there are ways around it (like the link I posted above) but they can be painful.

 

[Bill R]

I'm going to be taking a charter bus from one of my companies campuses to another next week. While everyone else will be bored staring out the bus' windows, I'll be surfing the net on my Redfly.

 

[cplush#WP]

With a redfly you have instant on, almost never out of internet range, 8 hrs battery, and killer portability. now, depending on your phone, the internet mmight be better on a netbook, but mobile sites have all the same content (without ads ) and load much quicker. i have become quite a fan of mobile sites since i got my redfly, almost all my surfing on the fly is mobile site. graphics arent as great, but i dont need to see the pic of the couple dancing to viva viagra anyways LOL.