How much will it cost me to read Metafilter on the bus?

November 9, 2011 12:40 PM

I'm tentatively in the market for a smartphone or tablet or other such device that would allow me to do computery things, preferably things that use the Internet, while on public transportation. However, I'm pessimistic about my ability to actually afford anything that would provide the functionality I want. Am I wrong?

I should note first off that the entire mobile-computing wave has passed me by. I have a desktop PC that I built myself and a flip-phone whose multimedia capabilities are restricted to recording terrible audio and taking grainy pictures that can then be set as wallpaper. I've seen Android and iOS devices in the wild and played around with an iPhone briefly (not impressed), lifted a Kindle once or twice to hand it to someone else, and that's about it.

I'd be fine with this, except I just moved to the Washington, DC, area and the only reasonable way to get to work is a bus ride that takes roughly an hour in each direction. Suddenly I have 120 minutes of down time a day, and while I can reasonably fill those hours by reading more or making giant robots punch each other on my DS, I'd like to be able to take that time to do the stuff I'd normally do on the computer before or after work – blog reading/commenting, communicating with friends I rarely see in person, keeping up with news, reading webcomics I follow, catching up on TV shows I don't watch with my fiancee (the lowest priority on this list), and so forth. It would be a way to keep doing those things without cramming that computer time into the all-too-brief time at home that I'd like to be spend relaxing with my fiancee, cooking, exercising or performing other activities that involve actual human interaction.

So I'd like something that can browse the Internet while away from a wi-fi hotspot (as the DC Metro has no plans to install such hotspots in its buses in the foreseeable future), but won't charge me as if I'm doing nothing but streaming high-definition video; anything I want to watch can be downloaded to the device at home over the wi-fi I already have. The Kindle doesn't seem like the kind of device you use for primary web access, even if it's pages like Metafilter and the NY Times; Kindle Fire looked perfect, from a price and feature standpoint, except that it's wi-fi only, which makes it next to useless for me. Smartphones or full-size tablets do everything I want but at a positively terrifying price tag; $200-300 on a gimped computer I'll only use on the bus is bad, but $500-$600 is outright absurd. Making the price problem worse, I really don't want to do my typing on a tiny phone screen. My cell phone bill right now is $25-$30 a month depending on how many texts people send me, and from what I understand the data plans a touchscreen device locks you into would more than triple that, not to mention the cost of the device itself.

So what are my options? Is there a particularly affordable solution I should know about, or should I just wait and hope that Amazon releases a cellular-capable Fire?

posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish to computers & internet (31 answers total)

Even if Amazon does released a cellular-enabled Fire (I doubt they will), it will still add $25-35/mo. Regardless, the Fire sounds about right for what you're looking to do, with the primary downside being lack of expandable storage for your movies.

Personally, I use an Asus Transformer tablet that connects via my Virgin Mobile phone's 3G hotspot ($25/month for me, now $30/month for unlimited data and text and 400 minutes) when I am on the go. A MeFi or similar portable WiFi hot spot would be just as much if not more.

If I were you, I'd look for an Asus Transformer or similar tablet that will soon be obsoleted by new models and then snap one up at a good price. The Fire would also be a good option. If you absolutely must have reasonably priced 3G, maybe look at a Chromebook?
posted by speedgraphic at 12:51 PM on November 9, 2011

I used to be you. I was very skeptical about the whole pocket internet thing being "for me", and every time I played around with a friend's iPhone or Droid or whatever I'd give up in frustration. (Crazy magical witchcraft devices, with the moving screens and flashing whatnots, get offa my lawn.) Anyway, I figured that I'd get a smartphone some day--some day when they're "good", the plans make sense, and the phone/device/whatever doesn't look too fiddly and confusing for me to figure out.

And then my parents got me an iPhone 4s as a combo birthday/xmas present. I've had it for a week. It is AWESOME.

I'm using it for the same things you're looking to do: reading blogs on the train, sending emails, metafiltering, etc. I haven't watched too much video on the go, because staring at video while I'm moving makes me nauseous (I have the same problem watching movies on my laptop on car trips, so that's not unique to the small screen).

I've been very happy so far. It sounds so corny to say, but it's changed my life. No more waiting until I get home (and then forgetting to look it up) to find out who that actress in that movie was. Now I can just know. Whenever I want.

I'm on Verizon. $200 for the phone, $30/month for 2GB of data (which should be plenty for my purposes, there's a little calculator here), $10/month for unlimited text/talk on the family plan. I'm underemployed right now, so that seems like an insanely ridiculous amount of money to me, but apparently that's quite reasonable. YMMV.

But yeah, big fan of the iPhone so far. (I previously had never used an Apple product (except for those computers in my bio lab, which really sucked), so this is all very new for me.) Don't rule it out.
posted by phunniemee at 12:51 PM on November 9, 2011 [3 favorites]

Oh, and for what it's worth, I really thought that typing would be a pain in the ass. Once I started using it (I wrote a few test paragraphs in an open note) and figured it out, I realized it's really not that bad. Not great like a real keyboard, but good enough that I don't want to stab things.
posted by phunniemee at 12:53 PM on November 9, 2011

$400 will get you the Dell Inspiron Duo, 10" screen, (small) keyboard, 130GB HD, touchscreen. A true laptop that converts to tablet form, and can be dual-booted in Linux (although the multi-touch is lost, at least for now - regular touch-screen ability remains).

But that sounds like it's too much; I provide it as a price-point.

Maybe a smaller tablet, 7" or so, with a bluetooth or cabled keyboard for typing? If you commute with a briefcase for a base, you can pick up a flexible, rollup keyboard for $25; otherwise there are foldup options out there. I think I saw a bluetooth keyboard for $30 today on ?ThinkGeek?, maybe...
posted by IAmBroom at 12:55 PM on November 9, 2011

I could see saving up for a $400 computer, especially if it's an actual computer and not an iOS/Android thing. It's just a matter of getting online without a hotspot.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:06 PM on November 9, 2011

If you have WiFi on either end of your commute, you could get an iPod Touch for $200 and use Instapaper. You just mark a bunch of web pages to read later from your regular web browser at work or home, fire up Instapaper, and it downloads all the web pages in one go for you to browse later. It's a great experience.
posted by AaRdVarK at 1:10 PM on November 9, 2011

>> especially if it's an actual computer

What do you want to do with an 'actual computer' that you can't do with a smartphone or tablet?
posted by JohnFredra at 1:14 PM on November 9, 2011

On the bus? Not a lot. But a genuine laptop would have functionality outside of my commute, not to mention better storage and compatibility with more robust software, both for productivity and gaming. More functionality is worth more money.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:20 PM on November 9, 2011

Portability is functionality. You have 20 hours a week that you feel is underutilized. Forget for a second how much you think a given piece of hardware is worth and think about how much it is worth to you to get better use of all that time.

My suggestion is that you get a a 16GB iPad2 WiFi+3G. Start out with the $15/month data plan, and bump it up or change your behavior if you find yourself using too much data.

Yeah, its more expensive than a smart phone, but it can do more, and it won't force you to a more expensive voice plan on top of the data plan (and NO CONTRACT).

Yeah, its less capable than a laptop. It's also lighter, more portable, always connected to the net, has much better battery life, and, I find, is much better suited for reading/browsing, and even typing (I do better on the onscreen keyboard in landscape mode than I do on a cramped netbook).
posted by Good Brain at 1:32 PM on November 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

The sticking point here is going to be the data plan, period. No device, afaik, offers "Free" wireless data. You could upgrade the phone to an android device and then tether the android device to the tablet. You could, really, just get an android or iOS device and do pretty much everything you want on it. You could pick up a Xoom or a GalaxyTab or an iPad and buy a data plan for it...but again, free data doesn't exist.

I recently got a refurb nook color from buy.com for $149.00, and set it up to run CyanogenMod. It's AWESOME. It's not quite as ballsy as say, a Transformer or a Xoom or something, but it's EPIC for $150. You can buy them pre-modded and/or cheaper from craigslist, especially in a place like DC. Form factor is great, battery life is great, price is right, and the screen is EXCELLENT. I also have a Kindle I use to, you know, actually READ on, but w/e. I dropped a 16Gb microSD in mine, and we use it to hold lots of videos and music. There's no mic and no camera, but it's all around pretty great, especially for $149. The modding process was...not noob friendly, but again, you can get them pre-modded on ebay for less than $200.

The Kindle Fire is, as far as I'm concerned, a USELESS device. The fact that it has no SD or USB-host capability kills out out the door....and I say that as the most die-hard android fan you'll find anywhere.
posted by TomMelee at 1:33 PM on November 9, 2011

BTW, I still use my iPad a lot, despite the fact that I no longer spend 10 hours/week on the bus.
posted by Good Brain at 1:33 PM on November 9, 2011

Oh, and I dual boot my nook so it can still be a nook. It's amusing to me to run the Kindle app from the Android system and the nook app on the nook side.
posted by TomMelee at 1:34 PM on November 9, 2011

Tom - okay, I'm interested. What can I do with CyanogenMod? How do I get it online without pre-existing wi-fi? I am utterly clueless about what, exactly, I need to do to get a mobile hotspot going (or what I'd pay - there are $15 data plans?!), beyond knowing that I can't do it with the flip phone I have now.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:44 PM on November 9, 2011

I just made the switch to a smartphone! I bought the LG Optimus slider for $200. I love it. It has a slide out keyboard that is much easier to type on than a touch screen, though obviously still not as easy as a full size keyboard. You can still type on the touch screen too if you end up liking that better.

I also switched my carrier to Virgin Mobile, which offers an unlimited data, texting, and 300 minutes of talking plan for $35 a month, no contract. This is $10 more than I used to pay for just a prepaid talk and text plan. So far, having a tiny computer with me everywhere is well worth it. They do have prepaid plans with more minutes if you talk more than that.

The downside of no-contract is that you have to pay full price for the phone, but the upside is that every contract I looked into for just one person with talk, text, and web was at least $50 a month.

(Seriously, I feel like a cyborg! I have a tiny Internet with me everywhere!)
posted by nakedmolerats at 1:57 PM on November 9, 2011 [2 favorites]

If you want 3G internet access from a laptop or similar, you can just get a dongle. This would let you connect via eg IamBroom's suggestion.

I can't give you info on US plans for 3G via dongle, but here in Australia you can buy a dongle for $20 when they are on special, and with my provider you can then pay about $20 a GB for prepaid access, or $20 a month for 1.5 GB (at the low use end) on a plan.
posted by lollusc at 2:06 PM on November 9, 2011

The downside of no-contract is that you have to pay full price for the phone, but the upside is that every contract I looked into for just one person with talk, text, and web was at least $50 a month.

This is something that may be non-intuitive to the OP. A brand new smartphone doesn't cost $200 retail. Most smartphones cost $5-600 retail, but the cellular providers offer them to you for $200 with contract, so the actual cost of the phone is subsidized by you being locked in for two years.

So, you can get a cheaper monthly plan if you pay for the phone up front, or you can pay less for the phone up front, with a more costly monthly plan.

(Just general info in case you didn't already know this stuff)
posted by Fleebnork at 2:06 PM on November 9, 2011

That much I surmised from my own experience; the phone I have now was free with contract (which will expire in a few months).
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:10 PM on November 9, 2011

You can get USB sticks/dongles from wireless carriers that will connect you to the web, but the price might be too much.

I have an iPhone but wanted something bigger after about a year for certain tasks. I got a $147 Flytouch from Aliexpress.com (after reading this comment.) When I am places I can't get Wi-Fi, I read books, watch downloaded tv off a USB connected jump drive and play games. Instapaper or a similar app would let me read webpages, but I use my phone for that. Once you pick a model and before you buy, google around and you will likely find someone who has written a mod for that model. Mine consisted of putting two files on a micro SD card, putting the card in the tablet and restarting it. Like Tom said, you need a USB and/or SD card slot to really make use of the tablet. The Flytouch has both!
posted by soelo at 2:12 PM on November 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is something that may be non-intuitive to the OP. A brand new smartphone doesn't cost $200 retail. Most smartphones cost $5-600 retail, but the cellular providers offer them to you for $200 with contract, so the actual cost of the phone is subsidized by you being locked in for two years.

So, you can get a cheaper monthly plan if you pay for the phone up front, or you can pay less for the phone up front, with a more costly monthly plan.

(Just general info in case you didn't already know this stuff)

I'm sure the iPhones are more expensive, but like I said, I just bought the (brand new) LG Optimus slider model for $200 from Best Buy with no contract. It's not the best smartphone on the market, but I've been very satisfied so far with connection speed, battery life, etc.
posted by nakedmolerats at 2:13 PM on November 9, 2011

Your Optimus may have been "brand new" in the sense that it was not a used item, but the phone itself was released in June 2010, which is why you were able to get it cheaper than a new-to-market iPhone or Galaxy S2.

That's not to suggest that it's not adequate for you, just pointing out that smartphones depreciate quite a bit in 18 months. There are bargains to be found if one doesn't need something on the bleeding edge.
posted by Fleebnork at 2:34 PM on November 9, 2011

Get a recent used smartphone on craigslist or ebay.
For the plan try wal-mart/t-mobile $30 plan.
posted by WizKid at 3:05 PM on November 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

My dads are in love with their $150 android phone on the $35 unlimited no contract Virgin mobile plan. That seems like it may be the most sensible entree for you, since you can replace your phone bill. It's not the top of the line android but they are thrilled with it.

I think Virgin and Sprint may also have no contract hotspots.

A USB dongle won't work with many tablets. But the advantage is you don't have to charge it.
posted by Salamandrous at 4:54 PM on November 9, 2011

FWIW, I thought smartphones were too expensive until I decided to ditch my wifi and tether for home internet. It's not perfect, but I don't watch a lot of streaming video, so it works out. I do a lot of internet/email chores, read books, and listen to music on my Droid X with only a little touchscreen frustration.

Also, if you work for a large-ish company, you can probably get substantial discounts on phones/devices and plans through them. HR will know what the deals are.
posted by momus_window at 4:59 PM on November 9, 2011

OP-
That's the thing with a nook, if there's no wifi available, you ain't online. You could do as the other people are saying and pick up a Virgin Mobile Optimus (not sure if they disable tether, if they do you can root the phone and get that functionality back) and hotspot it, and use that hotspot for your non-3g tablet (Nook, whatever you choose.)

And...What can you do with CyanogenMod? More like what CAN'T you do, lol. This isn't the place for a nerdrant, and if you don't consider yourself pretty tech-savvy and you aren't the kind of person who enjoys tweaking things until they're perfect and looking at ALL the options you can find....go with a used iPad. If you enjoy making things unique to you and pushing your device to the edge...go for it. CM7 (the short name for cyanogenmod) allows me, on my Nook, to play (ok, really Android allows most of it, CM7 just gives some fun new options) any movie file (divx, xvid, etc etc.), any song format (mp3, mp4, flac, ogg, etc), any website with flash except stupid hulu because hulu is stupid, netflix, audiobooks, podcasts, etc. Maybe you couldn't browse MeFi from the bus w/o wifi, however you could do fun stuff like listen to podcasts, read books, enjoy some pretty nifty games (mahjongg on the nook is AWESOME). Oh, and also---there are emulators for all the good old game systems, and apps to download the roms for you.

I'm gonna stop talking now, but if you want more info, I'd be happy to help you or answer more questions.
posted by TomMelee at 5:40 PM on November 9, 2011

Oh, I'm not afraid to get fiddly. The entire reason I'm not keen on getting a tablet/smartphone is because of how locked-down they are. Hell, the main reason I've stuck with a desktop instead of getting a reasonably beefy laptop is because I can't build laptops.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:16 PM on November 9, 2011

The other bonus with nook's right now is that the resale value, especially for rom'd/rooted ones, is high...often higher than the price of a refurb nook+sd card. If you hate it, you can almost certainly recoup your money. The only hard part about the refurb or "blue dot" nooks is that the partition tables have to be reallocated before rooting, but there are tools that make it easier. I thought I bricked mine in the first 10 minutes, but thankfully the Nook has a protected recovery partition that basically makes it impossible to hurt it.
posted by TomMelee at 7:06 PM on November 9, 2011

If you want to buy an HTC Hero off of me for $60 (I live in DC), I have one I got free from Sprint and never used it. (I really like having a keyboard.) Message me.
posted by k8t at 7:20 PM on November 9, 2011

PS, as far as metro-riding, there is a cell signal in the metro station. When the train loads, your email, TweetDeck, and GoogleReader can load up. You can't watch Hulu or listen to Pandora, but it works.
posted by k8t at 7:21 PM on November 9, 2011

I'd second the HTC Hero. I have one from ebay (they're cheap now) and it works perfectly for what you need.

Get a decent sized micro sd card for films (use handbrake.fr's ipod encoding settings).

Check on someone's phone how your blogs render on a small screen though. Some are far from optimised for smartphones.

Although it has a weird looking usb charger slot, regular mini usb cables fit, and you're bound to have a few of those hanging around. One for home charging and one for the usb port of your work computer. You'll be good to go for the to and fro commute.

Plus, if you're feeling adventurous, you can root the hero and soup its performance up with a new rom (if that makes no sense, check out www.cyanogenmod.com/)
posted by guy72277 at 12:39 PM on November 10, 2011

A belated thanks to everyone who answered! After taking some time to mess around with an iPod Touch and getting quickly frustrated with the screen size, I think a 7"-ish tablet is about what I need. So I'll wait for the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet to drop next week, check out the reviews and weigh those against a hacked Nook Color, and look into a mobile wifi device to go with whichever one I pick (which looks like it's going to run me about $30 a month before discount).

Thanks!
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:30 AM on November 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

WizKid:
Get a recent used smartphone on craigslist or ebay.
For the plan try wal-mart/t-mobile $30 plan.


JEEEZUS!!!

"T-Mobile Monthly 4G $30 Unlimited Web & Text with 100 min of talk"

If that bitch were hackable to Android... damn. I have unlimited 3G from Sprint already, on a rooted 2-screen Echo phone (yum!), or else...
posted by IAmBroom at 6:29 PM on November 12, 2011