3G - Macbook Air 11"...

[bcaslis]

FYI: The US Verizon plans are a better deal than what you posted. It's also not too difficult to get a 20+% discount from these prices. I have a 22% corporate discount. As usual, these prices do not include taxes.

$20 1 GB
$35 3 GB
$50 5 GB
$80 10 GB

I've been using the 5GB plan for over a year. Use it pretty heavily (no movie downloads though) and am always under 3GB/month.

JohnG

I thought you could only get the Verizon plans if you bought the mifi + iPad bundle. Can you get these plans without buying the bundle?

 

[bowlerman625]

I hope some don't misinterpret my question of a MBA w/3G like the post below... My intentions are not to need an iPhone & tether, wifi, etc... I am looking for a MacBook Air with 3G...




Sprint's 4G is a marketing ploy and is not technically 4G. So, before you go praisin', you should know that LTE coming to networks such as Verizon is 4G...

What you have is 3G with a lil boost at times... Sprint's WiMax is not something I would even consider.

Yeah, I agree. I want my 3G service imbedded. I dont want to have to carry some other device to achieve 3G connectivity. Even if it connects other devices. Let my neighbor on the train buy their own internet. Just my preference, that's all!

 

[coochiekuta]

you mean do i want a macbook without osx? no.

i didnt want a mac for its design nor the logo. i picked up one to play around with snow leopard. i dont need iOS on a laptop. its a downgrade compared to the full fledge os that is osx.

 

[johnnymg]

I thought you could only get the Verizon plans if you bought the mifi + iPad bundle. Can you get these plans without buying the bundle?

The mifi bundle is for the mifi HW and service agreement regardless of use with the ipad or computer. i.e. you could buy the mifi + ipad and then use the mifi with an additional 4 devices.

You could also just buy the mifi + service contract "bundle" and use it with any 5 devices............. perhaps even including a wifi only ipad. ???

To step up the connectivity insanity even more, here's an over the top hack of an ipad: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/verizon-mifi-surgically-implanted-in-ipad-to-create-worlds-firs/

The point of all this variety is that it's TOTALLY INSANE to expect Apple to provide a "native" 3G MBA. It's a lame idea and Apple doesn't do lame.

cheers
JohnG

 

[aristobrat]

Yes, because the Mac Pro requires a different motherboard entirely to add Wifi and Bluetooth.

Seriously, that's your comeback ? This, again, would introduce yet another motherboard permutation to the inventory they have to either keep or produce. Makes. No. Sense.

Your post stated that Apple adding 3G as a CTO option would add more load on their inventory management. I was simply replying that Apple has made prior product decisions that didn't make much sense in regards to the efficiency of their inventory management system. Insert. Rolling. Eyes. Here.

And who says Apple has to have different mobos? Perhaps they could design one, where the broadband chipset could be slid in (for 3G CTO configurations), or left empty (for non-3G configurations). That's how they initially rolled WiFi into their notebook lineup.

I'm not making the point that Apple ever will, or should, do this. My point was simply that if they DID decide to do this, I would hope that they make it an option (so only the people choosing it pay for it).

 

[Peter.Howard]

It would be nice if all Mac laptops had the option to install a 3G sim card.

Would it really cost that much more to make it an option?

Make for a unique selling point, I can't recall any other pc makers with a "normal" size laptop that can accept a sim card internally.

 

[johnnymg]

I thought you could only get the Verizon plans if you bought the mifi + iPad bundle. Can you get these plans without buying the bundle?

I should confess that I don't have the mifi. I'm using the Novatel USB760 with my MBP's and MBA. I purchased the 760 before the mifi was available. As much as I like the 760 (works very good...... >1 Mb/sec download speed when on evdo revA) I would definitely go mifi at this time due to the "cleaner" interface of the mifi.

Note: The whole point of using mifi (or some varient) is that the carrier HW/protocols are a moving target. Apple isn't going to imbed some HW that will be protocol specific when the protocols are evolving at the current rate. PERHAPS some day there will be a stable international wireless protocol and at that time Apple might imbed the necessary HW. Don't hold your breath for that paradigm shift.

cheers
JohnG

 

[KnightWRX]

Your post stated that Apple adding 3G as a CTO option would add more load on their inventory management. I was simply replying that Apple has made prior product decisions that didn't make much sense in regards to the efficiency of their inventory management system. Insert. Rolling. Eyes. Here.

I said it brought inventory management problems, as in physical inventory. Having to carry the extra configurations, or stock the extra motherboards. Less of each quantity, having to further make sure they have proper quantities of each configuration/parts so as not to delay shipping for purchasers.

Who cares about a few bits in the database ? There's more to managing inventory than to data entry it into the system.

Anyway, point is moot. Apple does not ship 3G, we can still all have 3G on the MBA.

 

[whateverandever]

Sprint's 4G is a marketing ploy and is not technically 4G. So, before you go praisin', you should know that LTE coming to networks such as Verizon is 4G...

What you have is 3G with a lil boost at times... Sprint's WiMax is not something I would even consider.

WiMAX is as much "4G" as LTE is. They are simply different software implementations over the same equipment. Clear was doing tests of dual-mode towers that broadcast LTE and WiMax.