AirCards and Mobile Broadband

Mobile Broadband is accessible using a laptop computer, whether PC or Mac, or through use of a smartphone. Smartphones seem to get most of the attention these days but there are still some great advantages for opting to use your computer instead.

Screen size is one of the main reasons for choosing to do most of your mobile web browsing on a computer. Most web pages are created to be viewed on a computer rather than the comparatively tiny screen of a phone, so to see the entire page without lots of scrolling, around requires a larger screen. The other primary advantage of using a computer rather that a phone is the ease of typing on the much larger keyboard. Most of us don't have any problem tapping out a quick email, text or facebook entry on our phones but trying to write a lot more that can be burdensome.

The term AirCard has become practically generic in referring to a wireless modem that is plugged into a computer's USB or PCMCIA slot for connecting the computer to the wireless provider's Mobile Broadband network. In actuality, AirCard is a brand name for wireless modems manufactured by Sierra Wireless. Equivalent generic terms include mobile broadband cards and connect cards. There are three types available today:

• PC Cards are credit card sized computer peripherals that plug into a computer's PCMCIA slot, and indeed are often referred to as PCMCIA cards. While initially introduced primarily to provide additional storage, their use as a wireless modem became more prominent.
• Express Cards are next generation PC Card technology. They are in general both smaller and faster than PC Cards. As you might guess, they connect to your laptop's Express Card slot. Because of their speed, they support USB 2.0 and PCI Express applications.
• USB Cards are the most recent entry into the wireless broadband modem arena and they're the most popular with newer computers. Like so many other contemporary peripheral devices, a USB card plugs into your laptops USB port. They're also fast using the USB 2.0 standard.

Which Card Do I Choose?

The only question that really matters in this regard is which device is compatible with your computer. Many of the newest laptops don't have PCMCIA or Express slots so USB is your only choice. On the other hand, some Express Cards come equipped with a flip up antenna which some people find gives better reception. The validity of that claim is questionable.

To a large extent, wireless providers are phasing out PC Cards. They're still available but you may have difficulty finding them, at least in a retail store, but they can be ordered from the carriers online or by phone. Regardless of your choice, all cards that are currently available from the wireless broadband carriers are compatible with their fastest network speeds, so in buying a card all you really have to be concerned with is that it is compatible with your computer.

Options Worth Considering

There are a couple of additional functions that some mobile broadband cards possess that will be of interest to some users. The most common is that of providing removable storage. Some models provide this capability just like the very popular USB flash drives.

Some mobile data cards include an integrated GPS receiver. With them, your laptop instantly doubles as an interactive navigator much like the stand alone GPS devices or many cellular phones. Predictably, a subscription service is required to take advantage of this feature.