THE NOVATEL MIFI personal hotspot device from Verizon Wireless (find pcworld.com/63217) is an idea so good that I'm shocked it's just now coming to market. And for once, the price is right. Carry-around connectivity has taken a great leap forward. The MiFi is a tiny (3.5 by 2.3 by 0.4 inches) Linux-based Wi-Fi router that weighs about 2 ounces. Unlike the wireless data cards that cellular providers offer, the MiFi Jets up to five computers or other wireless devices share a single broadband connection on the Verizon EvDO network. Theoretical download speed is 3.1 megabits per second, and is shared among all devices connected to the MiFi. (Your download speed is more likely to be in the I-mbps range.)
THE TINY NOVATEL Wireless MiFi from
Verizon lets you create your Own Wl-Fl hotspot
THE TINY NOVATEL Wireless MiFi fromVerizon lets you create your Own Wl-Fl hotspot
Verizon charges $270 for the device and $15 per day for unlimited use. That's a good deal for multi device, broadband connectivity where a normal Wi-Fi hotspot is not available. Because the MiFi is something I would use only occasionally, for moving a fair amount of data over multiple PCs, that pricing works best for me.
Other pricing plans cost $100 for the hardware (after a $50 mail-in rebat) and about $60 per month for 5GB of data or $40 per month for 250MB. The MiFi can run for 4 hours on 3 charge. Though that's longer than many laptops manage, it doubtless represents a size/weight compromise on the part of the MiFi's designers. Businesses will flock to this device, which should be on s3Je now. It will no longer matter if no public Wi-Fi is available when you want to connect more than one computer to the Internet. One potemi3J drawback might be Wi-Fi interference at gatherings where people show up with a number of MiFi units. Also, bandwidth must be shared among all users of a cellular tower. -DaoidConry
Source of Information : PC World August 2009
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