EV-DO Cost/Benefit: Treo 700p vs. AirCard

I wanted to let you know about my experience with Verizon EV-DO service.
I’ve tested and found that you can use the Motorola RAZR V3c (from Verizon) as a tethered USB modem on the MacBook Pro on Verizon’s BroadbandAccess (EV-DO) network – but it requires you pay US$59.99/month for “tethered data” option. This is the same price as using the Sierra Wireless AirCard.
The weird thing is that once I turn on that option, my phone no longer pairs as a Bluetooth modem with my Mac, it only works via USB.
In your ZDNet post Verizon Treo 700p EV-DO instructions
you mentioned that “The dial-up working (DUN) package costs an extra US$15 per month.” I just wanted to clarify that the US$15 option is only available if you already subscribe to ZVW’s US$45/month data plan, so it’s really US$60 per month whether you use an AirCard or the Treo 700p’s EV-DO.
In a sense, the PC Card modem may be a better deal because for the same monthly price you get a card with a separate account that you can use at same time as a voice call. The only extra cost is initial purchase price of the AirCard.
The only problem is that the AirCard won’t work in the MacBook Pro’s ExpressCard/34 slot and the Novatel XV620 won’t be shipping until July 2006.
Bluetooth was never really supported by Verizon in the first place: previously it would pair via Bluetooth as a modem, but not authenticate.
On my Motorola v710 (on VZW) all I needed was a US$5/month Wireless Web data plan (with 20MB/month) and I could pair the phone with my Mac via Bluetooth as a modem and it would connect to the Internet via Verizon’s slower National Access network.
What’s your take on Verizon’s EV-DO/BroadbandAccess pricing? Do you find it expensive? Are there alternatives?
Contributed by: EV-DO Man

I wanted to let you know about my experience with Verizon EV-DO service.
I’ve tested and found that you can use the Motorola RAZR V3c (from Verizon) as a tethered USB modem on the MacBook Pro on Verizon’s BroadbandAccess (EV-DO) network – but it requires you pay US$59.99/month for “tethered data” option. This is the same price as using the Sierra Wireless AirCard.
The weird thing is that once I turn on that option, my phone no longer pairs as a Bluetooth modem with my Mac, it only works via USB.
In your ZDNet post Verizon Treo 700p EV-DO instructions
you mentioned that “The dial-up working (DUN) package costs an extra US$15 per month.” I just wanted to clarify that the US$15 option is only available if you already subscribe to ZVW’s US$45/month data plan, so it’s really US$60 per month whether you use an AirCard or the Treo 700p’s EV-DO.
In a sense, the PC Card modem may be a better deal because for the same monthly price you get a card with a separate account that you can use at same time as a voice call. The only extra cost is initial purchase price of the AirCard.
The only problem is that the AirCard won’t work in the MacBook Pro’s ExpressCard/34 slot and the Novatel XV620 won’t be shipping until July 2006.
Bluetooth was never really supported by Verizon in the first place: previously it would pair via Bluetooth as a modem, but not authenticate.
On my Motorola v710 (on VZW) all I needed was a US$5/month Wireless Web data plan (with 20MB/month) and I could pair the phone with my Mac via Bluetooth as a modem and it would connect to the Internet via Verizon’s slower National Access network.
What’s your take on Verizon’s EV-DO/BroadbandAccess pricing? Do you find it expensive? Are there alternatives?
Contributed by: EV-DO Man