Datacard SP55

Advantages: Good cheap way of getting internet on the move
Disadvantages: Took a little time to find the right AP address

...I bought the 3g datacard off ebay for a fairly good price. I was intending to use it with the ubuntu linux operating system, after I read that other people have been successful in getting it to work on Ubuntu. The card has a small LED which lights up according to the status of the card. It lights up red when it can't find a signal, or it's trying to find a signal. The LED goes green if you are able to connect to a GPRS connection. GPRS usually gives you around 4KB/s speed, which isn't fast at all. But if you find that you have the great little blue light, you're good to go onto the 3g network. 50KB/s. Much faster. I've found that this card has been quite reliable at keeping a signal. I'm using the driver that is built into ubuntu linux, which helped setting up the card easily and quickly. This is great value seeing that most 3g... Read review

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Advantages: Slimline, feature packed, trouble free computing.
Disadvantages: Quirky hibernation/shut down routine, sporadic media controls, quiet speakers.

...sufficient for a few songs, pictures and word documents and with ample battery life, unless you're like me with a bluetooth dongle, and 3G datacard plugged in, listening to music. It has a bright well specced screen with no dead pixels on it. There are only a couple of minor niggles to be aware of with the item. Firstly, the touchpad can be very temperamental, especially when browing the web. Certain areas of the touchpad seem to provoke strange responses (like pressing the top of the pad sometimes compels your browser to go back a page) although this can be stemmed somewhat by toshibas touchpad customisation tools. Secondly, the media controls on the right hand side will sometimes not work when the laptop has a few processes going on. Which is usually exactly the time you want to use them! Thirdly, (I said I was being picky earlier... Read review

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Advantages: Superslim
Disadvantages: Very Expensive

...Card slot, and Secure Digital slot. There’s also a PCMCIA slot in the base; Toshiba chose this over Express Card because many users want to keep using 3G datacards. But the R600 also comes with the option of built-in 3G, which is 7.2Mbps HSUPA (and twice the speed of the R500’s 3G module). For enhanced security, there are fingerprint reader and the Trusted Platform Module 1.2. So, whether you’re a writer, a graphic artist, a musician, or a video editor, or, if you just want to watch some YouTube videos and play some games, whatever you use your computer for, the Portege R600 is more than capable.... Read review

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