Mobile Internet

[karen2205]

Not planning on doing anything about this for a few months, but if I were to want a device capable of accessing the internet from a train, what kind of device would I want/how much is such internet access likely to cost? I've a preference for a qwerty keyboard with keys as big as possible for ease of typing. Also have a preference for being able to install stuff on it ie. Firefox, XiRCON, PuTTY.

Edit - Laptop is a possibility, but my current one is too heavy to carry with me just for 'fun' - I take it with me when I know I have a use for it, but it's too heavy to throw in my bag when I'm going to London for a day.

Comments

[skx.livejournal.com]

Two real choices:

1. Some mobile phone with a decent display, and a tarrif that gives you a data connection (maybe one of these fancy smart phone?).

2. A laptop machine with wireless support.

Many of the trains I've been on from Edinburgh <-> York have wireless networking available. All of them give out IPs via DHCP and allow TCP over DNS for free. If you want real internet access you have to pay and the prices are in the region of 2 £ an hour.

You might be able to get by with a palmtop, but they tend to be pricy and would probably still require a mobile phone for connectivity if the train didn't have wireless magic onboard.

My name is OzymanDNS, hack of hacks: look on my horrific lag ye mighty, and despair.

[uon.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure they allow TCP over DNS so much as fail to realize that it's possible.

Re: My name is OzymanDNS, hack of hacks: look on my horrific lag ye mighty, and despair.

[skx.livejournal.com]

True enough.

(Although I use nstx (http://thomer.com/howtos/nstx.html).)

[karen2205]

Sorry, what is TCP and how does having it over DNS help? What would I be able to access with that?

[skx.livejournal.com]

TCP == Transmission Control Protocol as in "TCP/IP".

If you had TCP over DNS you could access anything, as if you were connected. Still it sounds like that might be a bit advanced for you, since setting it up is .. tricky.

I'd guess then that you'd be looking at paying for the internet access on the train.

[nitoda]

Sounds as if you want a laptop rather than a PDA if you want a full-size keyboard, though I believe there are folding keyboards that you can get for PDAs. Screen size can be a bit of a problem though. As to cost, I remember thinking that it was too expensive last time I travelled on GNER but it is free if you have a first class ticket. I assume this goes even for the special deal firsts? Anyone actually know? I've found a laptop increasingly convenient when travelling as so many hotels now have either free or low cost wi-fi connections available.

[nitoda]

Oh, and if there isn't an onboard power supply, a laptop can deplete its battery *very* fast. Mine is currently breaking records at 13 mins from full to empty. :-( I need a new battery really, but it would cost me about £100 so I think I'll just continue to use it plugged in.

[karen2205]

Yep, apparantly if you unplug your laptop regularly and let it run itself down to nearly empty, every so often, the battery will last for longer.

[reddragdiva]

There are more 10" laptops showing up. They aren't cheap, but they sound very nice. I have a 12" laptop (Compaq Evo N510c) that weighs 1.6kg and is my main machine.

[yady.livejournal.com]

I'm very happy with my MDA Vario. T-mobile offers them in the UK too. They are free with some of the medium-high usage phone plans and you can get unlimited internet on them for (I think) 8 pounds or so extra.

It's too small to really be a laptop, but it runs putty and perhaps the mozilla browser is getting better by now too (haven't checked in a while, it was horribly slow when I tried). It fits in a pocket and it does internet access on the train. And it can also work as a dialup modem for a laptop.

[yady.livejournal.com]

Details are here...

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

I can confirm yady's device is very shiny (and has a keyboard you can't see in the pictures there).

The current crazy at work seems to be for things like the Nokia E61 / E70. They're all a bit tiny, though.

[shepline.livejournal.com]

I think tinjo might have a suggestion (http://tinyjo.livejournal.com/392137.html) for you...

[karen2205]

hmmm, I like that suggestion - Samsung make good mobile phones & I've no reason to doubt that they can make good computers too.

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Personally I gave up on this sort of thing and rely on a book to read and a notebook.

[karen2205]

Yeah, that's what I have been doing for years - judging by the cost of some of these ideas, I think I might have to just stick with it for a while longer!

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Some of the phone options can be pretty cheap on contract.

[barakta]

36 and 36 have just acquired Nokia 9300i gadgets. See http://thekumquat.livejournal.com/134930.html for a thread with stuff in it.

Also 36's well written review on the 9300i at http://36.livejournal.com/559156.html

I don't know what else is out there that is good, my partner has an XDA Exec which she likes on an O2 36meg a month data tarrif, but windows mobile 5 is somewhat buggy and I believe PuTTY is broken at the moment.

[barakta]

Bollocks. The second 36 should be a thekumquat.. Apologies, my brain is being stuporous today...

[http://hu.gs/blog/david/ (from livejournal.com)]

I have an SPV M5000 (which is the same as the XDA Exec but branded orange), and can confirm that pocketputty works fine with Windows Mobile 5 - I've only used data with wifi though, not via GPRS or anything else phonelike.

I've not seen many major problems with WM5 (well nothing that isn't more down to buggy third party software, although I'm using a custom mix of firmware which may affect the stability!)

[http://hu.gs/blog/david/ (from livejournal.com)]

I was also going to say that the T-Mobile Pay as you Go unlimited data for 1 Pound on any day you use might be worth considering if your usage falls within their terms.

[barakta]

I think my partner is used to the Psion MX which was running Symbian which is incredibly stable compared to various mini windowses. Data through WLAN and GPRS is fine though, signal dependent of course.

I suspect my partner hasn't used pocketputty in a while as she usually has her laptop for more than basic IRC and data use.

[jvvw.livejournal.com]

Do you have a fullsize laptop? I've got one that's about eleven inches across and it's much lighter and easier to just throw in a bag than a normal laptop. I also really like it if I want to sit on the sofa and read stuff on the internet .

[jensolo.livejournal.com]

My hubby is very happy with his new Nokia PDA-type phone. It's an E61, has a decent size screen and a small but workable kwerty keyboard. He has used it to email, surf the web and work on the go. He is able to download attachments and run Excel, Word etc. He got a very good deal through Vodaphone and has 500 minutes plus a data allowance for £35 per month.

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

Couple of guys at work have E61s as well, they seem very happy with them.