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Thankyou for the information. Thats what we want the access to internet on laptop wherever there is phone coverage. Now to find a good laptop just the basics, any suggestions of a simple setup?

To be honest, laptops are so cheap these days and come with so much gear on them they all seem like a good buy! We haven't bought a new one for many years, and David just rebuilds/upgrades our existing ones so I can't give you any recommendations other than DELL make good products and you can buy online and have it delivered to your door. Much of the cost in the more expensive laptops is in the video card grunt for gamers so you'll quickly work out what you do/don't need.

try and get a laptop that can be fixed and repaired in your home town.
the CPU should be 'mobile' type.

When thinking of a laptop, you might like to consider whether you can use it for other things as well.

We use ours for Internet access via the Next G network as Bungarra pointed out, but we also purchased a model that is small enough (10" display) to be mounted on the dashboard and used as a GPS/mapping PC as well.

We use OziExplorer and Discover Aus software to give us "moving map" tracking of where we are and where we've been. It is a very handy facility.

Like Michelle stated, above, it doen't have a knockem dead graphics card and it's not the fastest model we could buy but it is perfectly good for mapping, Internet, Word Processing, photo editing and the like. We got a 12V DC to DC converter so we can run it without a 240V supply.

Most manufacturers have a smallish model in their line-up, so give it some thought.

Cheers,

Russ.

We use our laptop to download photos, (make a CD or DVD copy also), watch DVD's, etc.

We found that the road corrugations and heat (I think anyway), depixalised a small section of the screen so we now have a couple of little clouds on the screen whenever we view something.

There are various "wireless" technologies available in Australia today.

1. WiFi which most laptops have these days. This works over a short distance in suitably equipped homes, business and hot-spots. The range is generally under 100m.

2. 3G is what is sold by Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, 3, etc and is generally only available in or near major cities. You can access the 3G network from a cellphone/cable to laptop or USB modem. Outside the 3G coverage area, you can get GPRS everywhere else that you can get mobile coverage from that network. This is slow - like just a tad faster than dialup.

3. NextG is a nationwide network from Telstra which gives nationwide broadband over your cellphone/cable to laptop or USB modem. By nationwide, you get coverage which is similar to the CDMA network and broadband works everywhere your NextG cellphone works.

Does VOIP work over any of these. Yes, VOIP works on WiFi but 3G and NextG, I have not tried so don't know but should work. VOIP did not work too well on the old GPRS network which is option2 above when you are away from 3G coverage

Hope that this helps

Stevesub

Tez

With your data pack on the phone - can you just buy it one month and then forget it for a couple and then buy another month for another trip?

Do you define the month or is the start and finish controlled by you or telstra?

Yep just get it when i need it. No contracts on anything. I ring and say I need a data pack for the next month. Can't remember if it has to mirror billing dates of the phone though. The first time I rang to set it up i was a bit wary and they offered a month free to try it out and get it all setup.

I'd recommend ringing between normal business hours as you seem to get more helpful staff than after hours.

make sure you ask about a datapack and if they seem vague ask to be put through to someone who knows more. I spoke to the technical guys when i couldn't get it to work the first tiome and they were great.

That is incorrect information about Dell servicing. I had to have my dell's graphics card replaced under warranty (3year version) and it was done on-site (my house) and within 2-3 days......this was in Mackay none-the-less.

Whilst they may make the items in Malaysia, and have their call-centre based there IIRC, i have found them to be helpful in fixing any problems. My 3 year old son ripped every key off the laptop one morning when i wasn't watching. Imagine my surprise when the cost to get another keyboard kit was $29 including express postage! This was not under warranty and i was pleasantly surprised.....expected it to be $100-200+.

I wouldn't trust any advice on brands without first-hand experience. The industry seems to thrive on propagating "our brand is better than x brand" garbage.

Andrew