This is actually pretty attractive to me.

I love the Palm Pre Plus so much, i just couldnt take ATT anymore.. losing calls, and no service all the time on the East Coast was enough!! I dont think I have ever had less than 2 bars with Verizon – Palm Pre Plus… So here i come, New Ipad – working all the time, anywere I go with my Palm Pre PLUS!!!!

http://securitytube.net/Our-Software-wants-to-Kill-us-%28Shmoocon-2010%29-video.aspx

So, I get $15/mo w/ no contract and all the wifi I wish. Sounds like a no brainer to me.

The Overdrive isn’t perfect, but it does have some compelling features. Its 4G with no 5GB cap in some cities and 3G with a 5GB cap everywhere else. It’s small, has a display showing status, decent battery life and a good management interface.

I much prefer a scheme where I pay for the data I use – regardless of the mobile device I’m consuming it with. While its not perfect and I’ll have another device to carry around, it might be worth a try.

Yes, you are correct. being from Canada makes you wrong. So wrong.

Anyway, both plans are based on charging more for more data access and less for less data access. MiFi has an inherent advantage for self-employed people, small businesses, and families. The iPad’s data plan isn’t really a “plan” at all; it’s just a convenience, and people have the option to add access to that convenience at a cost. Most users would have wifi at home and at work; if you go on vacation, you spend $15 for a month of wifi hotspot (Starbucks/airport) access plus some cellular data, or $30 for 3G (if available). It’s not much different than paying for internet access while traveling for most adults.

The fact that the iPad’s 3G modem is an option that costs money is where Verizon tries to get the hooks in. But the other alternatives would be worse, like making every iPad user pay for a 3G modem, even if they don’t have 3G coverage.

So the question really is which is more useful? Having a wifi connection I can use for multiple devices or 3G just on the ipad? Right now, I own the mifi because I don’t get internet access at work, so I use it a TON on my laptop in the office. I’m not sure the ipad will fill that void.

The other consideration is how will we use the ipad? The iphone is small enough that you pull it out anywhere, between locations, so having a ubiquitous internet connection is crucial. But if you have wifi at home, wifi at the office, then 90% of the places you’ll use the ipad you’re already covered. The ipad is so large, you’re unlikely to whip it out on a street corner and try to use it, and it’s a little unweildy for using in the car, the iphone is actually more useful for small tasks in the car.

I keep vacillating, any input would be helpful…

*Sarcasm for the comment above.

(24 months * $60 VZW mifi) – 130 savings on WIFI model= $1310 over 2 years for the WIFI only model on VZW mifi

(24 months * $30 ATT data) + $130 for 3G model= $850 over 2 years for the service on the more expensive 3G model with ATT service.

Thats almost a $460 difference. You can almost buy another 16gb WIFI-only iPad for that much!!!

Yes, for people in non-3G ATT areas it may be appealing, but dont forget the ATT data plan is month to month no contract, so it could be even cheaper than $850 if you dont want data every month of the 2 years.

I’d definitely do it.