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Nah. Outside the US, you can tether a laptop to an iPhone. You might want an iPad to be the only device you have to carry, but with a laptop, it's not unreasona
by cwp 16y ago
Nah. Outside the US, you can tether a laptop to an iPhone. You might want an iPad to be the only device you have to carry, but with a laptop, it's not unreasonable to also carry a phone. Why duplicate the hardware and the dataplan? Even inside the US, there are other ways to connect to a cellular network. Sim card support might actually be a useful feature, but it's far from a no-brainer.
- malandrew 16y agoWith tethering you don't get "instant on" internet. You have to make sure your laptop is connected to the phone and that the phone is connected to the internet. The ideal solution is one where the laptop can connect to the internet as soon as you open the lid.
- semanticist 16y agoIf your battery (on both devices) can handle it, bluetooth 'tethering' (the term getting increasingly inaccurate) is a good compromise. On the iPhone, you can leave it turned on and it only activates when requested. Turning it on is as simple as selecting 'connect' from the bluetooth icon in the menu bar. You probably wouldn't want on-board 3G to connect automatically anyway (for cost reasons if nothing else), so it's not much more work. But the down side is that leaving bluetooth on will affect battery life on the phone and laptop. Everything's a compromise.