keithhelms wrote:
You can get tablets on a pay as you go plan....Pay as you go is convenient if you only use a device for a small number of months during the year. It can also be a bit of a pain. They set up an account for you and a "phone" number, you pay for whatever amount of data you want to put on the device for the next month, then you can use it. If you don't use the device again for (I think) 90 days after that setup, the account and number get deleted and you have to go through that whole process again the next time. You need internet access to register the device, so you have to have another way of accessing the internet to complete that setup (wifi or something).
Correction: The account gets deleted 90 days after the data expires, not after registration.
Thanks for clarifying. If/when the JetPack dies I will definitely look into a tablet as a replacement hotspot. Just on more Q: Your tablet can also be used with other wi-fi (like library or such)? Or not?
I haven't run into an issue with the JetPack account expiring after 90 days. We went 5 months without using it and still had the same "phone number" and account. The only problem with it has been that the web interface is clunky on a Mac.
Edit: I just re-activated my JetPack for an upcoming trip and it did not require other wi-fi to do so. You could very well be correct about needing other wi-fi to register the device though.
Good to know about the timing of the PC updates. Thanks, Mr. Wizard.
