On select HP notebooks with embedded 3G cards for mobile broadband access, including those with Qualcomm’s Gobi cards for GSM/HSPA/CDMA/EV-DO network access, HP will be pre-installing a connection manager that gives users access to HP DataPass, a pre-paid mobile broadband service for on the go connectivity. Rather than have enterprise and consumer customers sign up for expensive, long-term data plans, HP DataPass is a short-term solution for those who primarily rely on an Ethernet or WiFi connection for their wireless connections, but may occasionally travel and find themselves in need of a mobile broadband connection.

HP DataPass Hands On Video

Correction: In the video it is stated that HP is working directly with Sprint on DataPass.HP is purchasing wholesale Sprint data capacity through Peregrine, a third-party company.

The service piggybacks, for now, on Sprint’s 3G network, and HP says that it’s service is available only in the U.S. at this point, but the computer-maker is looking into expanding the service in other territories. The great thing about HP DataPass is users can either choose to use it, choose to use another carrier’s mobile broadband offerings–like those through AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, or choose to ignore mobile broadband together if they don’t need it.

With many laptops now coming with the option for a Gobi chipset, users don’t need to choose which carrier they want their notebooks to work with. The Gobi chip allows users to choose if they want Verizon Wireless, Sprint, or AT&T service after the point of sale as it is compatible with all three carrier’s mobile broadband 3G networks.

With more laptops coming with embedded 3G modems, meaning you won’t need a MiFi or a USB dongle to connect to your carrier’s Internet, having an inexpensive, short-term option for mobile broadband access may mean that you’ll be more productive on the road on the off chance that you can’t find a free WiFi hotspot.

HP DataPass Pricing

Essentially, you can buy data by time periods–between 5 hours and 30 days–or by the bucket–between 75 MB to 1 GB–whichever expires first. The service is similar to a pre-paid cellular service. Here’s the pricing breakdown:

• $5.00: 75 MB or 5 hours of use
• $10.00: 150 MB or 3 days of use
• $20.00: 450 MB or 14 days of use
• $30.00: 1 GB or 30 days of use

In the enterprise market, the service will be great for users who may not otherwise get their manager’s approval for a $50-$80 monthly service for 2 years at a time. HP explains that in many companies, users who may not be as high up on the totem pole can still have access to mobile broadband access while traveling and would be more easily able to expense their data charges without being tied to an expensive monthly contract.

Connecting to the service is easy and seamless through HP’s connection manager. Additionally, when you run out of time or data through your purchased bucket, you can reload at any time.

HP DataPass Brings Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband to HP Notebooks (Video) is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

Notebook owners are hesitant to embrace personal hotspots, like the MiFi, and built in modems as their mobile broadband connection for notebooks. Instead, ABI Research found that the old fashioned USB modem is the preferred mobile connectivity option, outselling hotspots and embedded modems 3 to 1. ABI Research expects that this will be the trend for the next five years.

Our recent 4G USB modem and 4G mobile hotspot roundup found that there are just as many 4G USB modems as there are 4G mobile hotspots. While there are slightly lower prices to be found on USB modems, the 4G MiFi devices are priced pretty competitively.

It’s no surprise that USB Modems are outselling embedded modems which cannot be upgraded to faster networks and lock the notebook to a specific carrier, but it is a bit surprising to see that increasingly connected consumers and businesses are still choosing USB modems over MiFi hotspots which can be used as a USB modem as well as a personal WiFi hotspot, especially with trends pointing to a three device norm in the corporate environment.

ABI Analyst Jeff Orr claims that primary reasons consumers and companies have flocked to the USB modems are low cost and because the USB modems are, “almost disposable.” While we can’t argue with the low cost of USB modems, which are often free with a 2 year contract, we haven’t yet found a carrier that will let you out of a contract with no fees as Orr seems to suggest is the case.

Verizon 4G LTE MiFi

For users that want to upgrade, portable hotspots, are often as cheap as USB modems and allow users to connect many devices. Given the current state of 4G connectivity, users can purchase a 4G hotspot and rest assured it will still be the dominant connectivity connection for the 2 year contract.

As we move into the coming years, ABI Research believes that embedded and personal hotspot devices will grow in popularity, closing the gap by 2016. While there is a possibility that the tablets will give the embedded modems a boost, we think it is more likely that we see a shift in the next five years that will lead to our smartphones acting as the predominant personal hotspot.

If anything, smartphones and personal hotspots like the MiFi should be the leading connectivity options in five years, if not sooner. Mobile WiFi hotspots allow users to connect multiple devices including Mac’s Windows, game systems, dedicated devices and more to the network without the need for drivers or limitations of one device at a time access. The hotspots can also be plugged in for connectivity if users prefer that method.

Previously we’ve chosen to use a dedicated MiFi device over a smartphone hotspot, but we have seen an improvement in personal hotspot use and anticipate a continued improvement to the user experience of using your phone as a hotspot. If carriers can get on board with tethering built in to smartphone data plans, we may see a greater uptick in mobile phone hotspot usage.  We don’t expect to see this happen overnight, but five years sounds about right for carriers to come to their senses regarding smartphone hotspot data plans.

USB Modems Preferred 3 to 1 over Personal Hotspots. Why? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Over at JKOnTheRun Kevin Tofel raises a good question about the connectivity of upcoming tablets, many of which are launching with 3G or 4G versions before a WiFi only version is released. Tofel asks readers if the 3G connectivity is a must have and unsurprisingly the early results are staggeringly on the side of WiFi over 3G.

Why would users want fewer features? Well, cost is the primary factor. More users are getting smartphones which is already adding another monthly data fee and few of these users want yet another monthly connection fee for a tablet. This isn’t even taking the mobile hotspot feature into account, which has its own monthly fee.

In talking with many users who are contemplating their first tablet we continue to hear a demand for apps and the ability to surf the web and check email around the house and at a hotel or campground over WiFi.

While some users, like Kevin, will use a smaller tablet like the Galaxy Tab more like a phone. The average user we have talked to is looking for a laptop replacement and as such, don’t expect to have mobile broadband, nor do they want to pay for and sign another contract.

Even though I am a mobile power user the last thing I want is another monthly fee that is limited to one device. I would much rather use a MiFi that can connect my laptop, my iPad, my wife’s Nook Color or any other WiFi device than a single use connection.

How do you feel about 3G and 4G connections in your tablets? Does your opinion change if the tablet is smaller?

Do You Need a 3G or 4G Tablet? Or is WiFi Enough? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The MacBook Air is a great portable computer, but one thing missing from the Air, that you’ll find on other business and consumer ultraportables, is a built in 3G connection. While you can use a USB Modem, MiFi or turn your phone into a hotspot; many users prefer the convenience of having a 3G connection built into their laptop.

A new survey, spotted by AppleInsider, reveals that Apple is very interested in how you use your MacBook Air. Specifically Apple asks numerous questions about how you use 3G cellular connectivity with your MacBook Air. From where you use it, to how often you use it, Apple wants to know about your 3G habits. Apple also asked users what keys and ports they commonly use on the MacBook Air, perhaps looking to slim down even further.

This survey points towards the possibility that we will see a MacBook Air 3G come later this year when the MacBook Air models are rumored to get an update to the latest Sandy Bridge processors from Intel.

While built in 3G doesn’t provide the same flexibility as a portable hotspot or a USB modem, it is becoming more common. Recently the Google Chrome Notebook Cr-48 was launched with a built in Verizon 3G and 100MB of free data a month. While it is unlikely that Apple would offer free 3G, perhaps we will see a MacBook Air with a no contract easy on/easy off 3G plan like you can find on the iPad.

Via SlashGear

MacBook Air 3G Inbound? Survey Says Yes is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Skype announced today that the popular app for the iPhone had been updated to include video chat. Unlike Facetime which only works over WiFi and only to FaceTime the iPhone, iPod Touch and Mac — the updated Skype App for iPhone will allow users to video chat over 3G and to chat with users Skype on Windows or Mac computers.

The updated Skype iPhone app is available for download in the Apple App store right now, marking an end to the Christmas time break of new apps and app updates.

Here’s a video showing the new Skype App with Videochat over 3G. Though we are pretty sure you should never use the app in this fashion!

For video calls you can make calls from the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with i0S 4.0 or higher. Users of earlier iPod Touch devices and the iPod can receive video calls, but as these devices don’t have a camera the video won’t work both ways.

While you can use videochat over 3G keep in mind that if you are on a limited plan this could eat up your data allowance pretty quickly. 9To5Mac ran some tested and found that one minute of Skype video chat will equate to about 3.4MB of data so if you are near WiFi and on a limited iPhone data plan you should hop onto the WiFi network.

With the new Skype app you can do more than video chat including, making free Skype to Skype audio calls and calling landlines using Skype for lower priced rates.

Skype iPhone App Updated For Video Chat Over 3G and to Computers is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

With the announcement of Verizon 4G yesterday, all the major U.S. carriers now have a faster 4G-type connection to offer and Engadget has gone through the dizzying array of plans, speeds, and prices to try and figure out which offer laptop data plans the best value per GB.

You can see the helpful, but incredibly varied plan comparison chart below courtesy of Engadget.

If 4G isn’t your thing and you want a more detailed look at 3G data plan options for connecting your laptop on the go, check out our Mobile Broadband Data Plan Showdown which compares data plans from Verizon, Sprint, Virgin Mobile, T-Mobile and AT&T including USB modems, MiFi devices and tethering.

Via LaptopThoughts

Laptop Data Plans Compared: 3G, 4G from All Major Carriers is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

XGearlive is focused on ‘sophisticated coolness’ for the cases they make for all iOS devices, MacBook Pros and other mobile devices. Their Touge Special Edition case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS successfully applies their design philosophy with a case that one of our guest reviewers, my son, said was ‘hardcore and stylin’.

XGearlive sent over a couple of cases and my family and I chose to review the cool Touge Special Edition case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. So many people are focusing on accessories for the iPhone 4 because it’s the latest and greatest. But people are still using, and even buying, 3G/3GS iPhones. Case in point, our family has three.

The first thing our guest reviewers (my wife and two sons) noticed was the cool factor. We had a mini-war in our home as to who would get to use it first because they all liked it so much. My oldest son said that at school his friends were very impressed and stunned to learn it costs less than $20. XGearlive wanted to capture the Japanese street racing scene in their design. As you can see it is eye-catching. We looked at the red version but there are also purple and black versions. Our opinion is they succeeded in making a great case that stands out and gets attention.

The other thing all three of our reviewers noticed was how well the case protected the iPhone. Both of my sons actually dropped their phones from about 4 feet and the case did its job, protecting it from breakage. Because it has a  dual layer, the shock is absorbed. This is due to the carbon fiber graphic design exoskeleton.” That even sounds cool.

We also noticed that installation of the case was very easy. It slid on and off without any problems. My wife and oldest son said that they liked how the material the case is made from was easy to grip. But my youngest, who plays a lot of games, said that after a long gaming session his hands got sweaty and the case easily slipped out of his hand. That was probably more a problem with his hands than it was the case.

The bottom of the case folds off to reveal the dock connector. It is nice that the dock connector is protected yet still accessible when needed. Some people have had a problem with moisture or dust getting into their dock connector, which can cause damage. This case protects against such damage. Since the bottom portion folds out, users can still dock the phone without removing the case entirely. One extremely minor issue is the gap this fold out portion leaves, as you can see below.

Another important factor in iPhone cases is access to the ports and buttons. This was not an issue with the Touch Special Edition. All buttons worked flawlessly and the headphone jack was easily accessible.

All three were very impressed with the case and so I bought another one in order to keep peace in our home.

One negative was the screen protector that comes with the case. My oldest tested it. The problem was that it was like almost all screen protectors meaning it was hard to apply without getting dust under the protector. Be sure to clean the phone and apply it in a very clean environment. There is a firm cardboard applicator that comes with it. This kept the bubbles out that normally plague screen protector applications. If you do get it applied properly it has a finish on the front that when the phone is turned off makes it look like a mirror.

The micro-fiber cloth was a nice add-on. It did a good job of cleaning the screen especially before applying the protector.

Pros:

• Looks great
• Very protective
• Inexpensive
• Fold out bottom to expose dock
• All other ports and switches easily accessible
• Includes a screen protector and micro fiber cloth

Cons:

• Part that folds off can get in way with dock cables connected
• Screen protector no easier to apply than most
• Fold  out part leaves a gap

XGearlive Touge Special Edition Case for iPhone 3G and 3GS is “Hardcore and Stylin’” is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

As we previously reported, there seems to be a problem with the iPhone 4 glass. Now SquareTrade, a company that sells extended warranties of electronics including the iPhone 4, has a study that shows the iPhone 4 glass breaks 82 percent more often than the previous generations of the iPhone.

There were 20,000 iPhone 4 accidents in the first four months of the life of the new phone. 4.7 percent of all iPhone 4 owners have reported an accident compared to only 2.8 percent of iPhone 3GS owners in its first four months. The company is guessing that over 15 percent of owners will report an issue in the first year compared to just under 8 percent for 3GS owners.

As Laptop Magazine writer Dana Wollman suggests, Apple cannot be help responsible for people dropping their iPhone. However, if the iPhone 4 design leads to an increase in breaks, then the court of public opinion may hold the company responsible.

Wollman cited the same article from Ryan Block of gdgt that we cited in our previous report of this issue. He offered evidence that suggests the back glass of the iPhone 4 might have a flaw which is exacerbated by slide on cases with particles of dirt or other objects scratching the glass and eventually becoming a full crack.

iPhone 4 Breaks More than Previous iPhones says Squaretrade Study is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

AT&T announced this week that users can now purchase a 3G enabled netbook or mini notebook without the need for a contract with pay-as-you -go data service. The new plans called Prepaid DataConnect Pass Plans come in three levels and are joined by three new devices; the Acer Aspire AS1830 notebook, Acer Aspire One 532h netbook and Dell Inspiron Mini 10 HD netbook.

The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and the Acer Aspire One 532h are both available for the $39.99 price with a two-year contract and the Acer Aspire AS1830 starts at $239 with a two-year contract. Without a contract, for use with the Prepaid DataConnect Pass Plans, the netbooks are $449 and the ASpire AS1830 is $649. These non-contract prices reflect a premium of $50 to $150 over the cost of a device without embedded 3G.

The Prepaid DataConnect Pass Plans do not require a contract and come in the following prices;

• DataConnect Day Pass (100 MB) $15
• DataConnect Week Pass (300 MB) $30
• DataConnect Month Pass (1GB) $50

In addition to the 3G plans the DataConnect Passes also include unlimited use at AT&T WiFi hotspots

If you are a heavy data user, you’ll still get a better deal singing a contract that cuts the price of any of AT&T’s netbooks or mini notebooks dramatically and offers more data use at the same price; 200MB for $35 a month or 5GB for $60 per month.

If you want to keep costs down and pay as you go you should consider a solution from Virgin Mobile which offers cheap pay as you go mobile broadband. You can see our review of the Virgin Mobile USB modem and the announcement of their MiFi device for more information.

Via Liliputing

AT&T launches Pay as You Go Data Service and New 3G Netbooks is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Getting connected on the go is pretty easy these days, but unfortunately in most cases it is also expensive and requires a contract. Virgin Mobile is one of the few providers to offer an affordable contract free easy to use mobile broadband solution. The $79.99 BroadBand2Go USB adapter and service which we have been reviewing over the past month has performed well on numerous notebooks and in a variety of locations.

This review will look at the BroadBand2Go USB adapter as well as the service based on ease of use, speed and value.

Who should consider a no-contract mobile broadband plan like the one offered by Virgin Mobile?

This type of service, which allows you to turn the data one and off as needed, is perfect for anyone who needs a small amount of mobile data each month or travels just enough that they want a dedicated mobile broadband service, but not often enough to justify a contract. Pre-paid mobile broadband should be a consideration for small business owners, traveling college students and anyone else who wants an affordable mobile broadband solution that they can control.

Speed and Coverage:

Perhaps the two most important factors in mobile broadband are speed and coverage. In this case Virgin Mobile excels, but isn’t the top of the line. Virgin Mobile does offer Nationwide 3G wireless access, but it’s network is powered by Sprint which means in some areas including Northwest Ohio where we tested it we saw slower download speeds than using a tethered Verizon Wireless phone. Still, the national network covers many areas and for the use that we wanted; checking email, blogging and downloading the occasional word document the speed was alright.

During the iPhone 4 launch coverage at Notebooks.com the BroadBand2Go adapter allowed me to keep numerous websites up to date, text chat on Skype with the rest of our virtual team and write a blog post while traveling down I-75 at 70 MPH.

As I mentioned, I was able to achieve a slightly faster download speed using WirelessTether for my Rooted Motorola Droid, but the speeds were comparable and the speed on the BroadBand2GO adapter was more consistent. All testing used the SpeakEasy.com Speedtest.

Ease of Use:

How easy a gadget or service is to use is right there behind coverage and speed. If a service is blazing fast but needs a support call to work every time then it’s worthless. If a product achieves OK speeds but is dead simple to use on the other hand it can rise from average to very good.

That’s the case with the BroadBand2Go USB adapter. All of the data needed is built right into the USB modem so that when you plug it into a computer you can install the software and be connected in 3-5 minutes. Over the course of our review I tried the adapter in 3 notebooks and 2 netbooks and found that setting up and using the device was so simple that you could hand this device to anyone who can plug in a USB drive and they would be online in a matter of minutes.

When you compare this to the many tethering solutions, like WirelessTether for Root users that we used in the speed comparison the difference is huge. While testing this out I was in the passenger seat trying to hit a deadline and after spending 20 minutes trying to diagnose a tethering issue I gave up, removed the BroadBand2GO adapter from my backpack, installed it in a few minutes and met my deadline. This experience reflects the overall experience I have had with my current tethering solution. If you are using an official USB tethering service from your cell phone provider you may experience an easier level of use.

One problem I ran into that was particularly frustrating was that one netbook I used with the device failed to detect that it was plugged in when I tried to use the device at a later time. I was able to fix this problem by uninstalling the software and reinstalling it but it was an inconvenience. After reinstalling the problem did not return and I tried to recreate this issue on 4 other notebooks but was not able to do so. This shouldn’t stop you from considering the BroadBand2Go USB adapter, but just serve as guide for what to do if this problem affects you.

Price:

You can purchase service from Virgin Mobile from as low as $10 for 10 days access all the way up to $60 for 5GB worth of service over the period of a month. The lower priced plans offer much more value than the pay-as-you-go data plans at major cellular companies like Verizon and the high end plan, which is priced the same as you pay on contract at Verizon, offers the ability to downgrade or stop using the service for a month without any fees or hassles.

Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go Plans:

Conclusion:

If you want a pre-paid no contract mobile broadband solution that is simple to use, offers OK speeds and has coverage in many areas Virgin Mobile and the BroadBand2Go adapter is the right fit. If you want to share the connection or use it with a device like the WiFi iPad then you should look at the $150 Virgin Mobile MiFi unit.

Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go Review is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.