Always-connected notebooks are the future  |  November 24, 2008  

I really like my job, in part because I get to try out all the latest gadgets. This is obviously fun (as with the iPhone I've had in) but it also lets me use technology that is truly game changing. One example of that is the Sierra Wireless Compass 597, a cellular modem which looks like a USB drive and connects your notebook to the Internet.

The Compass 597 (info here and here) is not the first notebook cell modem on the market but its small size and ease of use make it a joy to use. And it isn't until you actually use one of these that you realize how always-on connectivity changes your computing experience. The payback for a regular road warrior is obvious, but even people who head out of the office for a few meetings a week will see a lot of benefit. Coupled with a small notebook (like this HP business model or even a funkier Dell XPS M1330, and a cellphone, you've got a portable office you can pack in a messenger bag. 

But as good as this is, there is better coming. Notebooks with built-in 3G wireless radios are already on the market, and as these become more common we will start to see cellular providers (Bell, Telus and Rogers) sell discounted notebooks to customers who sign up for a cell contract, in exactly the same that cellphones are currently deeply discounted. At least that's the contention of this article and I think that the author is dead right.

I can envision a time when mobile providers all have racks of notebooks alongside the Nokia, Apple and RIM phones, and customers buy one package that includes a cellphone, a notebook and cellular service for both. (I would opt for a higher-end notebook, in the same way you can buy a premium phone today instead of taking the "free" one.) I think a lot of people would be tempted by such a package, especially as each element would contribute to a bundle discount with the cell service shared between the devices. This would also harmonize billing and support and the functionality of it links well with the increasing interest in online cloud-computing models. 

Throw in the fact that mobile providers are looking for new revenue streams and it becomes even more obvious that this idea is a winner.  

Peter Wolchak