Thinkpads Forum

I'm thinking of buying one of those T60p blowout models, and I just now realized that they come with built-in wide-area wireless from Cingular (now owned by AT&T). Does anyone happen to know about the monthly, ongoing cost of such service?

I did ride out to my local, AT&T store this afternoon, to ask them about costs, but they're closed for the New Year's.

$60 p/month seems to be the going rate for Cingular or Verizon WWAN.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=171438

Harry, thanks much for the answer, and for the link.

I must say, that $60/month is probably too rich for my blood right now. Might be nice to have the WWAN hardware available though, because one never knows what the future will bring.

Tough decisions. There's some really good pricing available right now.

I bought Verizon WWAN (in my T61P) with the same thought process. I don't use it now but may in the future. Agreed on the prices, get as many options as you can afford. RAM is cheaper elsewhere though.

I use Verizon WWAN which is better than the other brand, by far. See www.evdoinfo.com . It is covers more cities with much more coverage and is much faster.

That said, I intentionally do not order with built-in WWAN. It is better for me to use PCMCIA (or you can use USB) because
a) I might want to change provider to Sprint for some reason.
b) Technology upgrade: A year ago were were using EVDO Rev 0. Now we are using the better EVDO Rev. A, and in 2008 sometime they should be releasing EVDO Rev. B. The upgrade to the far better EVDO Rev. B will require a new modem card.
c) I can use the card on another computer if I wish. For portability, you might consider the USB version b/c they work with Macs and other machines that have expresscard only and not PCMCIA.

If anyone does consider WWAN, go to www.evdoinfo.com b/c they offer you better deals than Verizon, Sprint, for the same networks.

And, you don't necessarily even need to purchase a card because you could also use a cell phone (with the appropriate 3G capability for the service you choose) tethered to your laptop via bluetooth or USB to provide connectivity.

Or, you could go with Sprint, get a Phone As Modem addon for only $15 dollars.

Don't forget all the taxes. $59 a month turns into $72.

Will the WWAN card for the T61x work on a T60? If so, what needs to be done? Does the screen need to be taken apart for the antenna install or are they prewired like the?

BTW, I am getting a T60 Flexview next week, we are doing a "group buy" in the marketplace section of this forum.

Thanks guys.

I agree, Verizon, for the moment, has the edge over AT&T in the 3G department, but they don't speak English. Verizon thinks unlimited means 5GB. AT&T and Sprint do not. For now, I'd go with Sprint. It is not only a superior EVDO Rev. A network, compared to Verizon, but also cheaper.

For those of you who know Southern California. I was BLOWN AWAY by the fact that in Baker, CA (a crappy desert town of 10 sqaure feet and population: 2), I not only got a signal (at BEST I was hoping to see a 1xRTT connection), but no, I had it set to "Sprint only" (no roaming on VZW), as well as "EVDO only", so it wasn't even looking for 1xRTT. Now THAT's deployment.

My record with Sprint is 2.5Mbps down and 400kbps up...in San Ysidro!! LOL...San Ysidro is 15 miles south of San Diego, and also the last U.S. exit off the 5 freeway. So again, it was quite odd as to the types of locations I was able to get these crazy speeds. There is no WWAN, so you'd have to get a PCMCIA (I use the Pantech PX-500), or Express card. Supposedly, Sprint will work even better with its latest Sierra card.

Disclaimer: I do NOT recommend Sprint for VOICE services. They only operate on 1,900MHz towers, so building penetration is pitiful. However, it does have the best data network of the big four carriers. Many studies and impartial tests have confirmed this to be fact over and over again. Hope this helps!

I have ATT WWAN service which costs about $70 ish with taxes. Personally I think it is worth it because I do a lot of traveling and the amount I pay for internet at hotels and airports easily breaks even

Jnathan - I wouldn't buy it thinking WWAN service prices are going to go down. As the big telecoms continue to gobble each other up, and FCC has allowed the Deathstar monopoly to reform (ATT), prices are only going to go up...