Samsung, Apple or Hewlett-Packard Tablet ???

Yes, that is an option with AT&T and the iPad. You can buy either 250MB fro $15 or 2GB for $25 and it is good for the next 30 days or when you hit the limit. You sign up right on the iPad setup screen. The $15 was enough for me for two different 10 day trips to Vegas with using it every day for email and web surfing.

AT&T may offer the same deal with other tablets, but since I have the iPad I haven't needed to know more.

Knowing that we would need monthly service to take credit cards, we went ahead and signed a two year contract with Verizon. That got us the Galaxy Tab for $199. Our 3G data package is 1GB for $20 per month althought I believe that they just changed their pricing. They eliminated the 1GB and now start at 2GB for $30 and go up to 10GB of data.

I took my iPad to Vegas and had no problem hooking up to available wifi wherever it was available. I don't have an air card. Just a note once you get one you will use it more than you think. I use mine all the time. Much more portable than a laptop.

What's an "air card" ????


Rick

It does offer a compelling reason to buy now as HP just dropped the price $100 you can get it for under $399 (16 GB version) shipped at Amazon. HP Shopping always sends me coupons. The next $50 off coupon they send will make this device pretty darn compelling. They also updated Web OS and it works better now. I kinda of like Web OS anyway.

Rock'nRick....re: air card.

Granted, I don't have a tablet thing-a-ma-bob, but this thread got me curious so I went to the Apple then Verizon websites to research an ipad. What I found out about the ipad is that you can just buy it and HOPE you can get on the internet with any available (unlocked) Wi-Fi (like you find in some airports and hotels). However, if you want to make SURE you can connect to the internet, you buy "air time" (like $30 a month for a certain amount of usage) through Verizon or AT&T or another carrier (like you do for a cell phone).

If I am ALL WRONG, someone that actually has a tablet thing, please correct me! (gently please) I'd really like to learn how this whole tablet thing works....

In my area the only coverage you would get from AT&T for Internet is whats as known as their Edge Network. Basically web pages will load at dial-up like speeds. When I complained to AT&T about a smart phone fee because the smart functions of phone weren’t usable in rural America they told me to use my home network's Wi-Fi and TS. Basically they were charging me to use my own Internet connection which I was already paying for. If most of your Tablet use is going to be in rural America the Internet service isn't worthwhile on AT&T. And if your using it in an urban area that has 3G/4G there are Typically a lot of Wi-Fi Networks around. If you go this route I'd definitely suggest Verizon as they have 3G coverage almost everywhere they have basic talk cell coverage. Look at their Data not talk coverage maps for your area to find out for sure and make sure you read the fine print.

MAL(or anyone),whats really the big difference between 3 and 4G? I thought 3G pretty much did ANY type of thing you would need over the air. Thanks!

J

To the end user the big difference is speed. In my area I have a usable 756kbps on my 3G network downstream which is several times faster than dial-up (about 14x times), but not really fast enough to stream full legnth videos . Of course it varies area to area, but the upper end of 3G is roughly 3.1 Mbps and 4G's upper end is 14.4 Mbps.

Gotchya,thanks.

J