During the two weeks of testing, I installed this card in three separate IBM Thinkpads. A Thinkpad T42p, a Thinkpad X40 and a Thinkpad A31p, all which provided seamless installation excellent data downloads using the Audiovox card on a Windows XP platform. Verizon currently only offers one PC card if you want broadband wireless service, but I’m sure other companies including Sierra Wireless will be rolling out their own broadband enabled cards soon. This particular card had a small antenna that folds flat when not in use. Nice thing about that is that it’s not detachable and lays flush with the edge of the card. With the antenna attached, it is one less dongle to lose or have to worry about.

Keep in mind that this card is a dual band unit. In other words, where broadband EvDO services are not yet available, you can still connect to Verizon Wireless’s 1xRTT slower service until it becomes available in your area or region, or in an area where you may be traveling. This added ability is available to you at no extra cost and can come in handy when some connection is better than none, and it pretty much has the same national footprint as Verizon’s highly acclaimed national cellular voice network.

So now you’re asking yourself, is it worth the $80 or so a month for this service? In my opinion, that depends. If you are constantly on the go, and need a fast connection wherever you may be, this service is a no brainer, and worth the monthly fee. That is, as long as the service is offered in your area.  If you are currently paying for DSL service you may be able to ditch that service altogether to justify the cost differential. However if you share your DSL service with others in your domain, doing so may not be an option, especially if your colleagues need the service while you are gone.

If $80 seems a bit steep, there are other options, including a $29.99 per month unlimited GPRS service offered by T-Mobile ($10 less if you currently have a voice plan with T-Mobile) and this is the best mobile data value available today for nationwide coverage. AT&T offers unlimited EDGE in most major markets for the same $79.95 rate albeit a bit slower, it is currently available in more cities than the Verizon service.

All in all, I was impressed enough with the new Verizon service enough to highly recommend it to anyone needing on the go fast wireless service in areas where it is currently offered. If your area is not currently on the short list just yet, stay tuned, Verizon promises to be online in most major markets by the end of 2005, and when they do, get ready to call Ma Bell and tell her “See YA!”

Verizon EvDO is currently available in the following markets, with more markets coming online on a regular basis:

Houston, TX
Jacksonville, FL
Kansas City, MO
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Madison, WI
Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL

Milwaukee, WI
New Haven, CT
New Orleans, LA