Is EVDO worth it?

I just tested internet access through Bluetooth to the Verizon Motorola E815 over EVDO. I wasn't sure whether the Bluetooth DUN method would enable full EVDO speed, but I was pleasantly surprised with the speed. Didn't test uploads, but downloads seemed quite fast, with various files coming in at 50Kbps - 150Kbps. Very nice! A great option for 12" owners, or for anyone that could use occasional remote net access and doesn't want to shell out $60 a month for unlimited access.

I have the Verizon Broadband service also, and the PC5220 card. I do not use it as everyday, and it is purely a luxury for me, but I highly reccomend it. I recently had a major problem with my DSL provider at home, and currently am in between vendors. Thanks to my 15" PowerBook and the Verizon Broadband service, I have been able to connect from just about anywhere (I live in Chicago - good Verizon coverage). Another great feature of the Mac OS is that I can share my connection via the AirPort card in my machine. Just the other night I was surfing the web on my laptop, and my nephew was video iChatting with his iBook at the same time, both off the EVDO card. What a life saver!

I'm in Jax,FL and have been contemplating the same thing. Any Mac users on Verizon EVDO here in J-ville that can testify?

(bhamm).. oh, as a follow up, Verizon is also testing an update to their EVDO network in 'early 2006' that will supposedly double these speeds. Then you're at 1Mbps+ all the time.. even in a 'slow' spot.

after suffering with a god awful cable provider for the last 2 years.. i picked up Verizon's new Kyocera KPC 650 (mac compatible card). I tried it out for 2 weeks going to all of my regular hangouts/friends/family. Each place i went, i ran a few bandwidth tests. The slowest i see is 300-400Kbps.. i maintain 500-700Kbps regularly and have had several times where i sustain 800-900Kbps. I use it in the Dallas area (Lewisville, Plano, Frisco, Murphy, etc). I'm VERY happy with it. Between my old tmboile hotspot and cable ISP, the price is the same.. except now i get online wherever i happen to be sitting. These cards are awesome. i did a little writeup on my own blog a couple weeks back: http://ideastorm.com/blog/2005/09/11/be-a-roaming-hotspot-unto-yourself/

Personally I would not get one. The only use I see for this is for those who do their work and need access while on the road, literally. Wi-fi being so readily available just about everywhere in metropolitan areas, this EVDO gadget seems redundant and slow. Sounds like there are also reception problems. Maybe I'll wait until others work out the bugs and can figure out what I'd do with it before buying. Plus, the internet connection at home is necessary if you have VOIP like I do.

Um, actually there is native EVDO support built-in to Mac OS X 10.3.5 - 10.4.2. Apple built the drivers in directly AND you do not need to install anything. This ONLY works with the PC5220 card. I can walk up to any PB15/17 stick in a PC5220 and you will automatically see a new signal strength indicator in the menu bar - so yes, there is native support. That said, you cannot get the PC5220 any more and it was the first EVDO card (been out for 2+ years). The KPC650 is the ONE that is supported by Verizon and that is also the best card. If the $79 (or $59) sounds expensive, it probably isn't right for you. If you need the freedom to be on the internet wherever you are (hotel, train, limo, taxi, etc.), then take a close look, it is VERY cool. We offer iChat Video demos, if you want to see it live in action :)

I've been using the Kyocera card with my 17-inch Powerbook for about a month. It rocks. I waited on EVDO until a card was available with a native OEM OS X driver. It was worth the wait, as the Kyocera/Powerbook combo makes for a truly lifestyle changing mobile web experience. Email at traffic lights?... as you hop back in the car following a meeting... anywhere at all in your house or yard? Neat! And, I actually had the good sense to check the Verizon tower locations in my area, as well as to see the general system cellular signal strength at my home location before erecting any unrealistic expectations for EVDO. I maintain 4 to 5 bars of signal anywhere in my house. Recommended.

I bought the KPC650 from Verizon because of my frequent travel between Denver and DC (denver just got EVDO). The price just dropped to $60/mo and that sealed it for me. The EVDO works great on my brand new 15" Ultimate Powerbook, and I can work waiting for a plane, in the hotel room, at a client, etc. Saves me $$ if my hotel requires payment for their WiFi, too. The speed isn't fantastic, and there are dropoff issues when I'm connected to my corporate (Cisco PIX) VPN. Overall I'm not displeased after roughly 1 month of heavy use.

I currently have and run the Verizon AirPrime CDMA card. 1. I like the fact that since I travel for my job, I can and have been able to connect at great speeds when I am on the train, airport or hotel (when their service is down) 2. There is no such thing as "native verizon support on OS X". Let's get that straight. There may be plugins on the OS that work with it, however the ONLY time my system crashes is when I have the card in. I consistantly get the infamous "You need to shut down your system. Please hold down the power button" with no options otherwise. And when I reboot I read the log file and it shows, guess what? the verizon card crashed the system. 3. It is outrageously priced. I signed up for the service only to get some credit for my newly formed company. Otherwise, I probably would not of paid the freakin' $79/mo. My cable modem at home plus ISP plus Digital Cable just barely breaks that price. So we have to ask: 1. Does it work well with OS X? A. Yes, it does. However THERE ARE ISSUES with it. Bare none. There probably always will be with any third party PCMCIA device. There are fixes for these issues but that is just what they are "fixes". 2. Does it seem like it will work for you? A. Possibly. How much mobility/connectivity do you need? If you are just going to write/read emails and surf a little bit, then this is overkill, price wise. If you travel as much as I do, back and forth to Philly every week, and are in and out of trains, planes and automobiles and need to connect to wherever on a good amount of time, then definitely the cost can be justified. Hope this helps, just my .02 on the subject.