[NTLK] (OT) re: phone on iPad

[Daniel Jagendorf]

One reviewer installed Skype and found that it worked.  At its' most expensive (about $12/month) it's cheaper than Line2 ($15/month).  
The mobile hotspots seem to be expensive but might work in areas without 3G (or is that the other way around?).  The AT&T connection is $15 or $30/month depending on how much wifi data the phone connection requires, but you only pay for the month that you use it.  You have to have the AT&T 3G connection in the first place and that depends on where you live.  If you've got decent coverage it will probably be the most cost effective.  The iPad as a phone will run you somewhere from no monthly fee to $45/month (not counting mobile hotspot cost).  An iPhone without contract will cost the same.  After initial hardware costs.

There's a lot of speculation about both iPhone 4 and iPhone OS 4.  If you can wait it will probably pay off.  If your AT&T connection is bad then it's going to be a small screen computer with bad phone service, etc. 

Dan J

On Apr 5, 2010, at 8:40 PM, newtontalk-request at newtontalk.net wrote:

> Barring any OTHER unforeseen circumstances...I agree with G Y, it is my plan to get the 32GB 3G model. I'm sure I'm going to want to use it away from my home wifi (that's why I eventually got a broadband PC card for my Mac)...so *NOT* 3G makes little sense for me...unless I get a mobile hotspot-kinda thing. I wonder how cost-effective it is to go that way over the AT&T connection costs? There will certainly be a two-year contract for the mobile hotspot device from my cell provider....
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts of using Skype for voice with either the wifi or 3G model, to make it a phone (with a bluetooth headset)? 
> 
> Thanks,
> --Forrest