Father’s Day is just around the corner and rather than ties and the odd gift boxes offered at department stores we suggest you get dad one of these awesome Father’s Day gifts. These tech gifts for Father’s Day 2011 aren’t just for geeks. We have all types of consumer electronics, thumb drives, eBook readers, tablets, smartphones and more that are sure to impress.

21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

If you order within the next week most of these gifts will arrive in time for Father’s Day 2011 which is on Sunday June 19th.

Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive – $10 and up

The Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive has become our go to drive for two reasons. It is tough and as you can guess, it is tiny. We have it attached to the our key ring and so it is always there. Because of its size we barely notice it. Because of how tough it is we don’t worry about breaking it. We tested this drive and really beat it up. Our data was safe despite dunking it in water, stomping on it, and plunging into dirt. The drives start at $22 for a 2GB model and range on up to $158 for the 32GB model. But you can find them cheaper on Amazon.

Mimobots – $22 and up

If you are looking for a thumbdrive that shows off dad’s love for comics or science fiction, then you need to check out the licensed Mimibot thumb drives. These incredibly detailed drives don’t just carry your documents, they show off your geeky side with licences from Star Wars, Marvel and more.

We’ve been using several of these drives over the past few weeks and everyone we show them to loves the fun look of the Mimobots. The drives look as good in person as they do on the Mimibot website and with a large collection of characters you have a good chance at finding dad’s favorite comic book hero. The backside of the drive is flat enough we could use it with the MacBook Air, which sits close to a table, but if you are trying to plug into the recessed ports on some desktops you may have trouble.

iPhone, Android & iPad Protection – $30 and up

Some of our favorite cases for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices come from Speck and OtterBox. These two companies offer a range of solutions for multiple Android devices and the every popular iPhone. Speck offers a collection of colorful and fun cases mainly focused on Apple products, offering all types of looks and protection.

OtterBox on the other hand is known for their incredible protection for devices including drop protection. For fathers who work in construction, like to go outdoors or are just rough with their phones, an OtterBox case is the perfect gift.

ScotteVest Travel Vests and Jackets – $25 and up

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without ScotteVest travel vests, jackets and shirts. We’ve been big fans of the ScotteVest gear for a while now because it allows dad to carry all of his gear from cameras to the iPad without looking like a dork. Seriously, the pockets in these devices will accommodate all types of gear for around town or heading off on an adventure.

ScotteVest is having a Father’s Day sale right now, that allows you to get jackets, hoodies and shirts at 30% off. The standard ScotteVest Travel vest isn’t on sale, but is well worth the $100 price tag.

LightScoop – $30

If Dad is a shutterbug, the Lightscoop is a great choice. This handy little DSLR accessory will snap on to his camera and bounce the flash off the ceiling or the wall for better photos. Rather than washing out the image or delivering a deer in the headlights look, the Lightscoop bounces the photos off your surroundings for better lighting.

The Lightscoop is probably a better fit for budding photographer dads, rather than a pro photographer who likely has a full lightbox and studio setup on hand.

Eye Fi – $49.99 and up

Another good Father’s Day gift is the Eye-Fi X2 SD card which connects to wireless networks and iPhone or Android devices to upload your photos to your computer and to the web without any wires.

We really like the ability to upload our photos automatically to our computer and to the Eye Fi Center which allows us to share them with family members on the iPad rather than the small screen of our camera. Dad can choose to selectively upload photos to Facebook and many other websites to automatically share. We like the control, which keeps unwanted photos from going public. Check out our Eye Fi Review.

WetCiruits 4 Outlet Water Resistant Rugged Power Strip – $70

This is not an ordinary power outlet. Sure it is a little expensive but how many power strips from WalMart will withstand pouring water into them or having Junior stick a pair of metal tweezers in one of the outlets and survive without even a shock? With the WetCircuits power strip pouring water on it while it is plugged in and in use has no effect. The water is kept out of the actual circuit. Putting a set of tweezers down into the outlet will not shock anyone. We know because we tested it. Check out the video below.

This thing is great for plugging in a number of things like a laptop, a video projector, and your cell phone while you are working at a table with people drinking coffee or while outdoors at a beach or park.

Razer Orochi Bluetooth Laser Mouse – $79.99

There might be a better mobile mouse out there, but after testing a bunch of Bluetooth mobile mice, we don’t think there is a better Bluetooth mobile mouse available. Designed primarily for gamers in mind, this mouse is also great as an everyday mouse. In fact, we use it that way with the notebooks we use most o the time. You can view our full review and video and decide for yourself. Dad will love this mouse whether he’s a gamer or not.

Cadence 4-bit Binary Watch – $90

This is less a tech gift and more a gift for a techie. If your dad is a geek he will love this binary watch. From a distance it looks like any casual analog watch. Up close you realize that instead of Latin or Roman numerals each hour is represented by a four digit binary number.

Fitbit – $99

If dad is a data geek, tracking and analyzing anything he can put into a number, he may like the fitbit. This small device clips onto his pocket or belt and tracks steps, miles walked, activity, calories burned and can even track his sleep habits. The fitbit is $99 and includes access to the fitbit website for tracking fitbit stats and can log eating habits(he’ll have to do this manually though). If he wants to go deeper into the data and gain comparisons to other people in his age group he can upgrade to the premium account for $49 a year.

We’ve been using a fitbit for the past few weeks and we really like that the fitbit can handle being worn day to day at the office, in the yard or out on a long walk without any worries of it falling off or breaking. The fitbit battery lasts a whole week and uploads data to the fitbit website whenever you get within 15 feet of the base station which is attached to your computer. The fitbit isn’t waterproof, but it can handle being washed off and reportedly can survive a drop into the toilet. Below you’ll see just a snippet of the data fitbit records.

One of our favorite uses has been to monitor our sleep habits. With the included armband dad can wear the fitbit while you sleep and it will monitor how often he wakes up and moves during the night.

Booq Bag Computer Backpack – Starting at $129.95

We think Booq makes some nice computer bags and backpacks. They have almost any style you prefer, but we like the backpack style the best. The Boa Squeeze is their least expensive backpack bag. They sell sizes that fit anything from a 13″ up to a 17″ computer. They offer great protection and will look cool doing it. Dad will be very happy with this bag or any of the other styles. Maybe he likes a something more like a messenger bag with a flap, a simple sleeve, or a briefcase style bag. They have them all. We also like the Cobra Courier which is a messenger style bag with a sleeve to protect your notebook. It comes it at $195.

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 Bluetooth Headset – $199

Bluetooth headsets are for the most part poor performers when you actually start to use them, but not the Plantronics Voyager Por UC 2. This headset is the smartest Bluetooth headset we have ever used and the only one we have stuck with for more than a few weeks. It’s so good, we gave it an Editor’s Choice award at GottaBeMobile.com.

The reason we love this bluetooth headset so much is that it is smart enough to know when you want to use it and when you don’t. With a normal Bluetooth headset, audio will be sent to the headset even if it is in your bag or out in the car. The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 knows when you have it on your ear and when you don’t, allowing it to route the audio to the right place. The headset will even auto answer calls when you put it on your ear. This model includes a Bluetooth adapter so that you can use it with your PC or Mac as well.

Android Phone – Various Prices

As popular as the iPhone is, we think an Android phone might be a nice way to reward dad this year. They are easy to use and have a lot of powerful features. Recommending just one is hard since not all phones are available with all carriers. So here are our recommendations for the carrier that old dad is using. These come from our sister site’s list of the top 5 phones for May 2011.

LG G2x – T-Mobile – $200

It has a fantastic 4-inch LCD display, HSPA+ 4G speeds and it has the ability to capture 1080p which is something most top of the line smartphones aren’t able to do.

HTC Droid Incredible 2 – Verizon – $80

We recently previewed the HTC Droid Incredible 2, the successor of the wildly popular Droid Incredible, and came away very impressed. The increase in display size from 3.7 to 4-inches works well and doesn’t add any additional bulk.

Its single-core 1GHz processor is quick and it comes with almost an identical form factor to the original Droid Incredible.  Add in all the other bells and whistles and you have yourself a fantastic 3G phone.

Motorola Atrix 4G – AT&T – $99

The Motorola Atrix is the flagship Android device on AT&T and like the G2x, it can be considered a superphone because of the fantastic specifications it has on board. It packs a high-resolution display, dual-core processor and a massive battery to boot.

HTC Thunderbolt – Verizon – $249

The ThunderBolt is essentially an HTC EVO with 4G LTE speeds, which as you’ll see in a second, isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. The hardware is solid, the software as well and with an upgrade to Gingerbread coming in the not-so-distant future, the ThunderBolt is worthy of this list.

Amazon Kindle eBook Reader – $114, $139, or $189

There are a number of good eBook readers available, but the best one for the simple task of reading books is still the Kindle. The iPad is the premium do-it-all device. The Nook Color wants to be. But if all you want is an eBook reader cheap, the ad-supported Kindle is the best option. It is only $114 and the ads are not that intrusive. It requires a Wi-Fi signal to shop, download books, and sync things like bookmarks, highlights or notes, but can be read anywhere.

HP dm1z Notebook Computer – $449

Not quite a netbook, the diminutive HP dm1z series of notebooks is a great choice for an ultra-portable budget notebook for the mobile dad who needs a business notebook that can handle almost any basic task you throw at it. More powerful than a little netbook, he will be more happy too. It is an 11.6″ system with a dual-core AMD Fusion processor. The AMD Radeon 6310 graphics makes this little system a lot more powerful than you would think. The 1366×768 display makes it 720p HD capable, great for watching HD videos downloaded from one of the various video buying or rental sites. For an extra $129 you can get dad an external Blu-ray drive too. HP promises 9.5 hours from the battery. If you only get the typical two-thirds of the promised battery life that it still around 6 hours. It has VGA and HDMI output for presentations or hooking up to a TV.

Apple iPad 2 – $499 – $829

This is likely one of the number one requested tech gifts this Father’s Day. It is still the standard for tablet devices despite all that people are trying to do to unseat it with Android-based devices. The huge app ecosystem and accessories market make it the number one device. It is dead simple to use and one of the most versatile computing devices ever made.

Our sister site did a very comprehensive iPad 2 review if you want to read up before taking this big a plunge. Just know that if you can afford it, dad will be extremely happy with you. We suggest a sweet spot of 32GB with 3G if you can afford it. That model is $729. Take one step back and go with the 32GB wi-fi only model for $599 if possible.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 – $1399

Not officially ready till May 24, this business class notebook is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 was give the editor’s choice award by our editor, Josh Smith. He said:

The ThinkPad X1 shows a now look for Lenovo and includes a collection of features and design changes which exciting and new. Lenovo has been able to add to the ThinkPad features we love, like durability and an amazing keyboard, without compromising on why businesses choose to equip their employees with ThinkPads. The ThinkPad X1 shows that the company can adapt and bring consumer features like high-end audio and backlit keys to the traditional ThinkPad line. Lenovo may still need a bit more time to perfect the mousepad, but the ThinkPad X1 is without a doubt the best ThinkPad we have had a chance to use.

The ThinkPad X1 we looked at had a 2.5GHz 2nd generation Intel Core i5-520M processor. It also included 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The display is powered by Intel 3000 HD integrated graphics. The glossy 13.3″ screen is made with a gorilla glass wich makes it durable and particularly scratch resistant. The computer is 3.73 pounds and between .65″ and .84″ in thickness. The 6 cell battery gives you over four hours and the optional slice adds another four hours. Please read our comprehensive review for more detailed information.

Additional Reporting by Josh Smith

Father’s Day 2011: 21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

If you want to connect your notebook to the 4G networks of Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile you have a collection of new options to get your laptop, notebook or MacBook connected on the go. Many of these solutions will also allow you to connect your WiFi devices like the iPad 2 or a Nintendo DS to the superfast 4G networks.

What is 4G?

While we may go back and forth about the definition of 4G, and the speeds vary from carrier to carrier, there is one thing e can agree on — 4G is fast. We ran a speedtest on the HTC Thunderbolt which uses Verizon’s 4G network and were able to clock the following speeds. Yes, these speeds may slow some when the more users get on the network, but you should still expect around 12MB per second downloading and 5MB per second uploading. Keep reading to see how the 4G speeds compare across networks.

Types of 4G Notebook Connections

There are three main ways of connecting your notebook or WiFi gadgets to the high speed 4G network – USB Modem, Mobile Hotspot and Tethering with a 4G smartphone. All of these solutions have strengths and weaknesses, but whichever way you decide to connect you’ll be able to get connected faster than you thought possible.

4G USB Modem – Small and plugs into your notebook. Pro: No battery Con: Won’t work with more than 1 device or the iPad 2

4G Mobile Hotspot – Small, portable with ability to connect multiple devices over WiFi. Pro: WiFi anywhere you are. Con: Bring a cord because the battery may run out fast.

4G Smartphone Tethering/Personal Hotspot – No need for another device, tap to start your hotspot. Pro: Built into many phones, cheaper than standalone plans. Con: Burns through battery life fast.

4G USB Modems (By Carrier)

Sprint 4G USB Modems:

Sprint 4G USB Modem

• Sprint 3G/4G USB U600 - Free with 2 Year Contract

Verizon 4G USB Modems:

Verizon 4G LTE USB Modem

• Verizon 4G LTE USB Modem USB55IL - $99 after $50 MIR w/ 2 year contract
• LG 4G LTE USB Modem VL600 - $99 after $50 MIR w/ 2 year contract
• Pantech 4G USB Modem UML290 - $49 after $50 MIR w/ 2 year contract

T-Mobile 4G USB Modem:

T-Mobile 4G USB Modem

• T-Mobile Jet 2.0 – Free after $50 MIR w/ 2 Year Contract

4G Mobile Hotspots (By Carrier)

Sprint 4G Mobile Hotspots:

Sprint 4G MiFi

• Overdrive™ 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless – $49 w/ 2 year contract
• Sprint MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot - $79 w/ 2 year contract

Verizon 4G Mobile Hotspots:

Verizon 4G LTE MiFI

• Verizon  4G MiFi 4510L – $99 after $50 MIR w/ 2 year contract
• Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11 – $99 after $50 MIR w/ 2 year contract

T-Mobile 4G Hotspots:

T-Mobile 4G Hotspot

• T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot - $79 w/ 2 year contract

4G Smartphones with Hotspot

Sprint 4G Smartphones with Mobile Hotspot:

HTC EVO 4G with Personal Hotspot

• HTC EVo 4G - $199.99 with 2 year contract
• HTC EVO Shift 4G – $149.99 with 2 year contract
• Samsung Epic 4G – $149.99 with 2 year contract

Verizon 4G Smartphones with Mobile Hotspot:

HTC Thunderbolt with 4G Personal Hotspot

• HTC Thunderbolt – $249.99 w/ 2 year contract

T-Mobile 4G Smartphones with Mobile Hotspot:

T-Mobile G2x with 4G Personal Hotspot

• T-Mobile® G2x™ with Google - $199.99 after $50 MIR with 2 year contract
• T-Mobile® G2™ with Google - $199.99 after $50 MIR with 2 year contract
• Samsung Galaxy S™ 4G - $199.99 after $50 MIR with 2 year contract

4G Hotspot, Modem and Smartphone Tethering prices

Sprint 4G Data Plan Pricing:

• MiFi and USB Modem – $59.99 for 4G Unlimited and 3G 5GB/month
• Personal Hotspot (in addition to data plan) – $29.99

Verizon 4G Data Plan Pricing:

• MiFi and USB Modem - 5GB for $50/month, 10GB for $80/month
• Personal Hotspot (in addition to data plan) - $14.99

T-Mobile 4G Data Plan Pricing:

• MiFi and USB Modem – 5GB for $50/month, 10GB for $85/month
• Personal Hotspot (in addition to data plan) – $14.99

4G Speeds (By Carrier)

The 4G network speeds vary from carrier to carrier and often from place to place within the city, but we have collected the claimed speeds from Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile below. In some cases we have been able to achieve faster speeds depending on the location.

If you want to know how coverage and speeds are in your area, the best bet may be to ask around amongst your friends and coworkers to see how their 4G speeds are.

Claimed 4G Speeds: Actual Speeds may be higher or lower in practice.

Sprint 4G Speed – 3-6MBps download/1MBps upload

Verizon 4G Speed – 5-12MBps download/2-5MBps upload

T-Mobile 4G – Speed - 5-8MBs download/ not stated

4G Coverage Areas

4G coverage is limited to major cities and airports right now, but most major carriers are working on a fast and massive 4G rollout. Verizon, for example, is on an ambitious push to cover a large number of metropolitan areas by the end of 2011. We have heard from several sources who have told us that the 4G rollout should happen much faster than the initial 3G rollout.

Sprint 4G Coverage:

Sprint 4G Coverage

Check Sprint 4G coverage in more detail.

Verizon 4G Coverage:

Verizon 4G Coverage

Check Verizon 4G coverage in more detail.

T-Mobile 4G Coverage:

T-Mobile 4G Coverage

Check T-Mobile 4G coverage in more detail.

4G Hotspot and USB Modem Roundup: Notebook & Laptop 4G Connections is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

T-Mobile has announced an update to the webConnect mobile broadband plans, increasing the price of the high end data plan to $85 a month for 10GB. The new T-Mobile webConnect plans are compatible with notebooks with T-Mobile broadband built in, USB modems, WiFi hotspots like the MiFi and tablets.

The new webConnect pricing starts at $29.99 a month for 200MB which comes with a $.10 per MB overage fee after you go over 200MB. The next step up is a 5GB data plan which starts at $49.99 and will be the better fit for most users. Bump up to the 10GB plan for $84.99 a month if you really need a lot of mobile data.

Both the 5GB and 10GB monthly plans come without any overage fees, but your connection will be throttled to a slower speed once you go over 5GB or 10GB depending on your T-Mobile webConnect plan.

The T-Mobile webConnect plans listed above require a contract and include access to 3G and 4G data depending on your location. These plans come with a 20% discount if you have a T-Mobile Voice account, making the pricing much more palatable.

If you don’t want a contract, there are no commitment plans from T-Mobile which include 100MB of Data good for 7 days at $10, 300MB of Data valid for a month for $30 and 1 GB of data valid for one month for $50.

These data plans allow you to connect your notebook or other devices to the internet wherever you have a cell phone signal. Before you invest in a mobile broadband plan and sign a contract we suggest you evaluate your options including the possibility of using your phone as a personal hotspot. Many times you can add a tethering or mobile hotspot option to Android smart phones and the iPhone for less than the cost of a separate plan.

T-Mobile Rolls Out New webConnect Mobile Broadband Prices is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

This hasn’t just been a big week for Notebooks, it’s also been packed full of tablet and smart phone news and videos. We’ve rounded up the best of the week into a bite size version that will let you digest the week’s tablet and smart phone news while you enjoy your Friday afternoon.

Tablet News Roundup for the week off Feb 25th:

• Apple to Intro iPad 2 on March 2: Round Up of New iPad Rumors
• iPad 2: What Would Prompt You to Upgrade from the Original iPad?
• iPad 2: The Rumors We Want to Come True
• You can’t beat the iPad if all you do is chase it
• HP Slate 500 getting attention from health industry
• Motorola Xoom Review Roundup
• Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 slate Tablet PC to launch at CeBIT
• Motion Computing Brings Intel Core i3 to C5v TabletPC
• When does size matter on your Tablet?

Smart Phone News Roundup for the week off Feb 25th:

• HTC Thunderbolt Details, Review & Hands-On Video Roundup
• HTC Incredible S Goes On Sale Early
• HTC Thunderbolt Commercial Debuts
• T-Mobile Increases Prices on Popular Android Smartphones
• Will Early Disgruntled 4G Owners Inspire AT&T to Enable High Speed Uploads on HTC Inspire 4G?
• Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset Marks the End of an Era for Me

What do you think the hottest news of the week was?

Week in Review: Tablet and Smart Phone News You Need to Read is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

It’s been an exciting few years to be involved in mobile technology. In the last 4-5 years 3G mobile internet has gone from major cities to practically the entire nation and the price of data has dropped from $45-$60 a month plans to $30 and below. But with the lower prices came more users and more data hungry applications – up 73% in the 2nd half of 2010!

All this usage and popularity has hit carriers hard in terms of delivering a stellar experience for every customer leading to limited “unlimited” plans and data throttling from almost every carrier including Verizon and T-Mobile.

Most recently Virgin Mobile, one of our favorite prepaid mobile broadband providers, raised the price of the Broadband2Go Unlimited plan $10 and announced that accounts that go over 2.5GB will be throttled to 256kbps or lower after the barrier is broken.

Virgin Mobile advertises the plan as, “Unlimited Data, 3G speeds up to 2.5GB” which is at least more forthcoming than at Verizon and T-Mobile, but by not explaining in the usage area it’s unlikely that average users will understand when they will hit this limit, or what it means for their data usage.

Current $40 a month unlimited plan subscribers can keep their $40 5GB unlimited plan so long as they don’t let their service lapse, but the ability to use your data plan when you want to and turn it off when you don’t is, was, one of the biggest advantages of the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go plans.

Even if the changes only impact the top 5% of users, or whatever stat the carrier decides to state at that time, why not be up front with your users and offer tiered plans or unlimited plans — not limited unlimited plans.

While we don’t go looking for government involvement, it is truly surprising that the FCC hasn’t stepped in to tell carriers to clean up their act and offer customers an easy to understand mobile broadband plan. At this point we’d be excited to see some uniformity in data pricing and throttling transparency.

Five Steps to Saner Data Plans:

1. Don’t ever call a plan unlimited if there are limits to data use or speed.
2. If there are speed reductions after a specific amount of data spell out what that speed is.
3. Tell users how that speed compares to the 3G speed they are used to.
4. Provide a warning to users as they approach the start of throttling
5. If you can’t follow these rules, just offer a tiered plan so that users know what they are getting.

We don’t expect this to happen overnight, but as the CEOs of the biggest carriers gather in Spain this week we urge them to consider rolling out data plans that make sense and to restore some meaning to the word unlimited.

It’d be great if we didn’t have to ask Tim McGraw to change the lyrics of Back When to, ”Back when a hoe was a hoe; Coke was a coke and Unlimited meant unlimited!”

Image via Kevin Copps

Stop the “Unlimited” Data Insanity – 5 Steps to Saner Data Plans is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The common wisdom says there will be a mass exodus to Verizon after February 10 when the iPhone 4 finally becomes available on the carrier. A survey by ChangeWave Research says that as many as 41 percent of AT&T customers with an iPhone that will actually make the switch, according to MacRumors.

ChangeWave is a market research firm and they surveyed “professional and early-adopter consumers” at the end of last year, before the actual announcement of the Verizon iPhone.

When looking at the number of all AT&T customers the percentage drops to only 15%. This was a spike in the numbers compared to previous surveys, which put the number at only 10% who planned to switch away  from AT&T in the next quarter for any reason.

Compared to people who plan to switch away from the other mobile carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile both had 15% of all customers planning to switch away to another carrier. Only 4% of Verizon customers planned to switch away from the carrier in the next 90 days. Ten percent of Sprint customers planned to switch.

The numbers get scary for AT&T when you factor in contract terms. The 41% is of those who plan to switch within the first three months after Verizon offers the iPhone. Only 26% of iPhone owners said they would switch away from AT&T within the next three months, but that survey was taken when a Verizon iPhone was only speculation. Now that it is a reality, the 41% is much more pertinent. Additionally, 31% of iPhone owners who have to wait up to a year for their AT&T contract to expire said they would switch.

Keep in mind this survey was of tech-savvy users, not the average AT&T customer so it’s isn’t representative of the customer base as a whole. Also, now that the Verizon iPhone is real, and not a rumor, the numbers could move either way as customers get familiar with the idea.

Verizon iPhone 4 Will Entice Up to 41% of AT&T iPhone Owners is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

While the iPad may have stolen some thunder from the world of netbooks, there are still plenty of small and portable devices with Windows 7 and a keyboard ready to deliver on the go productivity and in the case of the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G from T-Mobile, do it with the speed of 4G.

We already took a look at how fast T-Mobile 4G is and now we are diving in deeper to see how the actual netbook that’s connecting to it holds up.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G Quick Specs: The Mini 10 4G is powered by an Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor, 1GB Ram and a 160 GB hard drive. It has a 10.1″ screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution, 1.3MP webcam and a 6 cell battery.

Who is this Notebook for? The Mini 10 4G is designed specifically for users who want a 4G connected netbook that can achieve average speeds of close to 5Mbps while in 4G T-Mobile coverage and 3G when needed. Because the netbook comes with a 2-year contract this devices is more likely to fit the needs of a professional user, or small business owner looking for a portable companion PC than the average home user.

Design and Build: The Dell Mini 10 4G has a very sturdy build with very little flex across the display and none that was detected when trying to flex the keyboard area. This type of durability is typically limited to business notebooks and reminds us of the sturdy feel we experienced when reviewing the HP Mini 5103.

The hinges that hold the display also felt sturdy, but the display only titled back so far, and in our opinion not enough especially when you are sitting on a couch or in a waiting room chair.

One other item to note is that the rear of the Mini 10 4G sticks out just under an inch from the hinge area. This is a contributing factor to the angle which you can open the netbook to and may look odd at first glance, but it does give you a nice lip to hold onto if you are walking with the netbook while using it.

Dell Mini 10 4G Gallery

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 4G w/ T-Mobile Review is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

For those looking for the absolute fastest connections on the go, 4G is the answer. While there current 4G offerings may not meet the technical definition of 4G, they are faster than 3G. T-Mobile 4G connectivity is available in 75 cities or metropolitan areas and is rolling it out further in 2011.

They sent over what they are calling the first 4G netbook, a Dell Mini 10 4G for us to test out on a recent trip to Columbus Ohio where they offer 4G connections.

During our test we checked the speed of the 4G connectivity and the usefulness of this speed in a netbook form factor. We will have a full review of the Dell Mini 10 4G up in a few days, but we wanted to share our impressions of 4G speed with you now. The Netbook runs $229 online with a 2 year contract.

How fast is T-Mobile 4G?

According to the T-Mobile their 4G network, known as HSPA+, can achieve speeds of up to 21Mbps in theory and according to their press release has seen average speeds of 5Mbps and peak speeds of 12Mbps. In our testing near the Polaris shopping center in Columbus Ohio were were able to achieve speeds between 2Mbps and up to 6.99Mbps using the built in 4G modem, much faster than we had on our Verizon powered 3G MiFi hotspot.

T-Mobile 4G Speed Test Results:

• 6.99Mbps down / .48Mbps up
• 5.06Mbps down/ .57Mbps up
• 4.95Mbps down / .35Mbps up
• 4.77Mbps down / .49Mbps up
• 2.17Mbps down / .56Mbps up
• 2.08Mbps down / .49Mbps up

Average T-Mobile 4G Speed: In our tests the average speed of T-Mobile 4G was – 4.34Mbps down / .49Mbps up. This speed was almost as fast as our home Time Warner connection on some days, and was able to connect almost instantly once Windows had booted up.

What can you do with a 4G powered netbook? Well, you can surf the web really fast, but more likely you’ll be using it to move around large files or remotely connect to another computer at high speeds. We were able to stream a Netflix movie without any trouble, but our attempts to watch a clip on Hulu were thwarted by the lack of a broadcom HD accelerator.

At this point a 4G netbook feels like a good tool for business users who need a faster connection, but unfortunately the netbook lacks the specs to gain a seal of approval for home users who are looking for a device that is also good for entertainment, which is a shame given the speeds we achieved. Thankfully you can get a WebConnect Rocket Laptop USB stick with 4G HSPA+ connectivity as well.

Here’s a video from Sumocat over at GottaBeMobile who reviewed the WebConnect Rocket Laptop USB stick this summer.

Here’s a look at T-Mobile 4G coverage:

T-Mobile 4G Review: How Fast is T-Mobile 4G? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Our friends at our sister site Gottabemobile collected some of the best reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Tab which is being released this month on the major wireless carriers as well as a Wi-Fi version for Best Buy. Until now we have not had any knowledge of an AT&T release date, but we at least have a rumored date of Nov. 21 for a whopping $649, which is $50 more than Verizon, the previous highest price model in the US. See screen shot below of the “evidence”.

UPDATE: The Nov. 21 availability date and $649 price was confirmed by a Best Buy sales person in the mobile department of the Best Buy store in Hickory, NC.

If after reading the reviews you want to spring for one, then you can find it at the following locations:

• Verizon Wireless has it for $599 with a regardless of whether you get a two year contract or a month-to-month contract.
• Sprint will have it for $399 but not till Nov. 14.
• T-Mobile also has it for $399 with a two year deal.
• Finally Best Buy is selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab with just Wi-fi and no wireless service at all for $599. It is not yet available.
• AT&T Rumored at $649 on November 21.

Here is the AT&T press release and leaked screenshot evidence is below.

Here is UMPC Portal’s review show video in two parts. First part one:

Here is part two:

via Gottabemobile

Samsung Galaxy Tab Reviews, AT&T Getting it 11-21 for $649 is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The past year has brought a collection of new data plans and prices that, while getting rid of or increasing the price of unlimited options, has made mobile data more affordable for the average user who doesn’t need an unlimited bucket of data on the go. Check out the cost of data plans at major carriers like Verizon, Virgin Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile below for devices like the MiFi hotspot. We’ve also rounded up the cost to turn your phone into a hotspot or tether it to your computer with a USB cable.

Verizon is the latest company to drop prices on data with the introduction of an iPad only plan that delivers 1GB of data for $20 a month. This plan can only be activated if you purchase an iPad and a MiFi from Verizon at the same time though. If you want a more affordable data plan without an iPad you can now purchase 3GB of use for $35 a month, 5GB for $50 or 10GB for $80. Gone is the unlimited mobile broadband plan, but we think that the lower entry prices are an overall win for consumers.

The only downside to Verizon’s  new mobile data prices is that the best deal 3GB for $35 is only a promotional plan which according to sources will disappear in 90 days. Users who sign a contract while it is available for sale will be able to keep that price for the life of their line, but new users will only have the 5GB option. Hopefully the promo will do well and Verizon will keep it on.

It is likely that Verizon dropped prices in response to Virgin Mobile’s $40 a month unlimited mobile broadband plan that can be used without a contract and operates on the Sprint 3G network. The Broadband2G0 service has proven popular and if you have a strong signal it is definitely the best deal out there for mobile broadband. For a look at how Virgin Mobile’s service handles check out our Virgin Mobile BroadBand2Go review.

Mobile Broadband Pricing breakdown from Verizon, Virgin Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile:

Best Deal on a MiFi from Verizon and other carriers:

The MiFi devices which can connect up to 5 other WiFi devices like iPads, computers, gaming systems, Eye-Fi cards and more can often be found at a pretty good price. Direct from Verizon the MiFi will run you $99 online with a 1-2 year contract. If you go into the store you may be able to score a better deal that includes a $50 rebate for a final cost of $49. When we went in just after the new data plans were announced the sales rep even offered to comp the $50 rebate if we signed up right then so you have some room to bargain here.

Third party resellers like Amazon, Wirefly and others offer the MiFi on Verizon and many other carriers for a penny or completely free. Unfortunately as of this writing most are out of stock or have yet to update their online system with the new Verizon data plans. We are hopeful that the new 3GB plan will show up soon. Virgin Mobile offers the MiFi for $149.99 without a contract for use with the BroadBand2Go plan.

You can check out our MiFi review to see how it performs and how it compares to tethering.

Tethering Pricing breakdown from Verizon, Virgin Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile:

Tethering is the act of connecting a computer or iPad to the internet using your cell phone as the modem. It can be done with a USB cable, or more commonly today by turning your phone into a mobile hotspot that works similarly to the MiFi device.

While the carriers all like to charge extra there are numerous methods that allow you to get around paying extra to tether. These include using a service like PDANet which uses your phone’s standard data package to get your laptop online. PDANet is a $15 to $30 depending on your phone, but offers a free 30 day trial.

If you have an Android phone or a jailbroken iPhone there are many options to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot without paying extra. You can root your Android phone for free tethering or jailbreak your iPhone and buy an app called MiWi for $19.99 to turn your iPhone into a hotspot. There’s also a free trial available.

The downsides to these work arounds is that while most are straightforward to set up, some users have had issues getting them to work and in some cases they are not allowable on your contract. like the official tethering plans these can also drain your phone’s battery very quickly.

Mobile Broadband Data Showdown – Data Plan Pricing for MiFi and Tethering is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.