Looking for information on PAYG cell phone (NY state), inflatable mattress, All-In-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer

November 8, 2009 11:22 PM

Moved to NY (NOT NYC) from Sweden, need information on PAYG cell phone, inflatable mattress, All-in-One scanner, fax, photocopier and printer.

I moved to NY state from Sweden and my job will involve moving from one place to the other every 3 months or so. Hence, would like to maintain as little belongings as possible.

Since I haven't got my SSN yet, I have to go with PAYG phone. I am checking all cellphone carriers I am aware of but feel like very little information is offered on the web. Going to the stores isn't helping either. I am curious which carrier has best coverage in NY state? Also, do I have to use carrier's phone to be able to use their SIM?
I considered delaying buying PAYG phone and use cellswapper later but I am not too sure how good is this idea.

I am looking for king/queen size inflatable mattress, which brand is good to go with? A previous thread on me-fi directs me to Aerobed. Any other recommendation? (or if you didn't like Aerobed, why?)

I am also interested in All-In-One Scanner, Photocopier, Fax and Printer. I checked cnet.com reviews but there is a conflict between editor's ratings and user's ratings so not too sure how much I should rely on them. I wonder if its a good idea to have such All-In-One equipment and if yes, any recommendation?

posted by zaxour to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

I use VirginMobileUSA for pay-as-you-go cell phone. It is pretty good and somewhat cheap. You can also get a $40 a month account from them.

I have a Canon all-in-one. It is also pretty good and reliable. I would go with an all-in-one. If you are faxing, use an online fax service. You will need a land phone line if you want to fax from your all-in-one.
posted by fifilaru at 11:51 PM on November 8, 2009

I have a Brother MFC-465CN that I like very much. Ink is cheap if you buy third-party Chinese counterfeit eBay stuff, and it works very well. It's ethernet networked for the whole house, and not just for printing: it does network scanning and network faxing for anything, too.

(Admittedly, "network scanning" is pretty low-usefulness. But the faxing is nice.)
posted by rokusan at 12:14 AM on November 9, 2009

The Aerobed is nice but you can get a "Queen" size air mattress from Target for much less, put a soft mattress pad and sheets on top of it, and it will be very comfortable.

all-in-one scanner/printers are nice but watch out for the ink costs. Don't get one if you plan to print a lot. HP, Epson or Canon are the most common brands in the US.

While you are in the US if you need to buy computer stuff, I suggest http://www.newegg.com rather than retail stores.
posted by thewalrus at 12:15 AM on November 9, 2009

Mattress: SwissGear InstaBed costs around $50 from Kmart. You push a button and it inflates itself. No external pump or cords. It runs on battery power.
posted by meadowlark lime at 12:16 AM on November 9, 2009

Canon all-in-one MX700 is excellent. Use it at work on a daily basis; if you are planning on doing a lot of color printing the ink could get very pricey though. The photocopy function is an absolute godsend, and pretty fast. Some stores have store-brand ink which is great price-wise and usually of good quality but it may affect the warranty on the product.

Depending on what you want in a scanner, you may be able to make do with a digital camera; I use a 10MP point-and-shoot to take photos of documents, and the quality is good enough for text-recognition software to pick up the text.

Whatever you are buying, never ever ever pay retail; there is always a sale or discount card or coupon to use.
posted by variella at 4:43 AM on November 9, 2009

I am curious which carrier has best coverage in NY state?

I'm in upstate New York in the Albany area, and I have a pay-as-you-go phone with T-Mobile. I've found the coverage to be fine, and the price is reasonable (I believe the minimum you can get away with putting into the phone is $10 every 3 months, or once you've bought $100 worth of minutes, $10 every 12 months).
posted by letourneau at 5:50 AM on November 9, 2009

Don't bother with cheaper air mattresses. If this is going to be your only bed, get the Aerobed. The integrated pump is so strong that you can inflate the thing while you are laying on it. We tried several other varieties and they always developed leaks with use - some faster than others. Most lose air slowly overnight, so you wake up lying with your hip or rear pressed uncomfortably into the hard floor. The Aerobed stays full overnight better than anything else we've tried. We have had our Aerobed for over four years now, have used it at home for guests, while camping, while traveling, still works fine - not a single leak and it fills up as firm as ever.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:04 AM on November 9, 2009

Second the Virgin Mobile. I have it now and it's amazing and easy and they don't plague you with junk or have the most impossible set-up ever like Verizon. You can keep adding money to your account to talk with minute packs, or you can choose a no-contract plan. You can also get a phone for like $10-20.
posted by problemcat at 9:39 AM on November 11, 2009