Meador Manor

I’m going mad for MID – mobile internet device, that is. I want to quickly and easily access the internet from my couch, my car (when I’m NOT driving, thank you), and when I’m out of town. And I do NOT want to wait for Windoze to boot up or pause while it does yet another dang update, nor do I want to apply copious heat to sensitive anatomical parts.

I have an aging Averatec laptop, but it is painfully slow to boot and has abominable battery life, a sluggish hard disk, less-than-stellar WiFi reception, and painfully scorches my lap as its fan whirs angrily. One thing I do like is that it is small for a laptop with its 12″ screen.

So I was intrigued when Asus put out the Eee PC 700 for a couple hundred bucks. But it didn’t have built-in cellular internet capability, which would be boon when I’m out of town…Oklahoma doesn’t have the plenitude of WiFi hotspots one finds on the coasts. And now everyone is excited about the improved performance of the forthcoming Eee PC 901, but I’m quite put off by the $560 price. If I’m going to spend that kind of money, why not get a new Dell laptop? Or see if the promised Dell Mini Inspiron is worthwhile?

So maybe I should get a Nokia N810. It puts the internet at your fingertips but drat – it needs WiFi.  I do like the big screen, but I’m not at all fond of styli.

Now I’m wondering if the best solution is to buy the new 3G iPhone from Apple and AT&T. My cheap US Cellular phone is getting long in the tooth and my contract will end in mid-July right after the new iPhone is released. I could get an 8 GB model for only $199 plus AT&T contract or push up to $299 for a 16 GB model. The 3rd party apps for the phone sound intriguing, as does the MobileMe service for push email, calendar, and contacts to the phone and my various computers.

A big downside, however, is that Bartlesville doesn’t have 3G phone service from AT&T. When I’m in town I’d still be stuck with the slower EDGE network, only able to go 3G when I’m in Tulsa or other metro areas. But having WiFi in the phone does help.

Another worry is the tiny screen. Sure, Apple has a marvelous touchscreen interface that can zoom in easily, but do I want to be zooming in and out all of the time? Do the websites I frequent have iPhone-friendly versions that would be less of a hassle?

What may push me over the EDGE is recalling the thrill of my first iPod. It was a revolutionary experience, reminding me of how excited I was to program my first home computer back in 1980. I have a feeling the iPhone would be even more exciting to use, despite the drawbacks of a small screen and inadequate AT&T network. At least I know the thing won’t burn a hole in my britches.