help with basic wireless

Greetings,
My mother is wanting a laptop that can access the internet and receive email
when she travels. Can she get one that can get a signal where ever she is or
is it limited to coffee shops, rv parks, etc.? I think we are talking about
two different networks here, one being cellular and the other LAN (radio
waves)? In the case of cellular, do all major (Cingular, AT&T, Sprint,etc.)
provide this service? How much would she expect tp be paying, aside from the
obvious cost of the laptop? Can someone help us out?
Thanks,

Jim

JS wrote:

> Greetings,
> My mother is wanting a laptop that can access the internet and receive
> email when she travels. Can she get one that can get a signal where
> ever she is or is it limited to coffee shops, rv parks, etc.? I think
> we are talking about two different networks here, one being cellular
> and the other LAN (radio waves)? In the case of cellular, do all major
> (Cingular, AT&T, Sprint,etc.) provide this service? How much would she
> expect tp be paying, aside from the obvious cost of the laptop? Can
> someone help us out? Thanks,
>
> Jim

I have a client who does exactly what your mother would like to - my
client travels all over the country (US) in her RV with her laptop.
When she visits her daughter here in Fresno, she brings the laptop to
me for servicing.

Aside from the normal 802.11g wireless, ethernet, and modem connections
built into the laptop, my client has a cellular pc card that works with
a cellular service. She says it is slow, but still quite useful. You're
going to have to do your research on what companies offer something
like that. Use Google, call around. The hardware you use has to work
with the service. IIRC, my client uses Sierra Tel, but I have no idea
if they would be right for your mother.

Malke
--
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"

Malke,
Thanks for responding. I talked with someone at Cingular today and they have
plans similar to their cell phone plans, only instead of minutes, you pay by
mgs. Plans are from 19.99/mo to 79.99/mo. You buy a PC card from them that
allows you to get the cell signal. The speed is 120kb/hr(?).He said 2 to 3
times faster than dial-up.
Just wanted to pass this along, in case you had some clients that are
interested.
Jim
"Malke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> JS wrote:
>
>> Greetings,
>> My mother is wanting a laptop that can access the internet and receive
>> email when she travels. Can she get one that can get a signal where
>> ever she is or is it limited to coffee shops, rv parks, etc.? I think
>> we are talking about two different networks here, one being cellular
>> and the other LAN (radio waves)? In the case of cellular, do all major
>> (Cingular, AT&T, Sprint,etc.) provide this service? How much would she
>> expect tp be paying, aside from the obvious cost of the laptop? Can
>> someone help us out? Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>
> I have a client who does exactly what your mother would like to - my
> client travels all over the country (US) in her RV with her laptop.
> When she visits her daughter here in Fresno, she brings the laptop to
> me for servicing.
>
> Aside from the normal 802.11g wireless, ethernet, and modem connections
> built into the laptop, my client has a cellular pc card that works with
> a cellular service. She says it is slow, but still quite useful. You're
> going to have to do your research on what companies offer something
> like that. Use Google, call around. The hardware you use has to work
> with the service. IIRC, my client uses Sierra Tel, but I have no idea
> if they would be right for your mother.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"

JS wrote:

> Malke,
> Thanks for responding. I talked with someone at Cingular today and
> they have plans similar to their cell phone plans, only instead of
> minutes, you pay by mgs. Plans are from 19.99/mo to 79.99/mo. You buy
> a PC card from them that allows you to get the cell signal. The speed
> is 120kb/hr(?).He said 2 to 3 times faster than dial-up.
> Just wanted to pass this along, in case you had some clients that are
> interested.
>
Thanks, Jim. That sounds like what my client uses from Sierra Tel.
Probably a major company like Cingular would be even better. What a
good son you are to your mother! :-)

Malke
--
MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"