Switching from ExpressCard to USB EV-DO
I have long been a happy EV-DO user and my ExpressCard modem has been a joy to use. I have lately been thinking about switching to a USB modem however. I evaluate so many different laptops and not all of them have an ExpressCard slot and a USB modem would work with any of them. I was recently impressed with Kevin’s USB727 modem on our recent trip to San Francisco and he told me he really loved the modem. Today I swung by the Verizon store and "upgraded" to a USB727. It only cost me $54 in the store and with the $50 mail-in rebate will only net me $4! Now that’s a bargain. 
I have been using it for a few hours and I must say I need to listen to Kevin more because it’s a really sweet EV-DO solution. I have used it in several places I frequent and I’m getting a definite impression that the bandwidth I am getting is faster than usual. I’ll keep an eye on that as my usage continues but I have always felt that Kevin’s bandwidth he reports from time to time is faster than what I have been getting with the ExpressCard modem. Time will tell but so far I am a happy mobile guy.
Yeah Sprint sales guy was pushing the Sierra Wireless solution but the USB727 is the only USB card that works equally well in Windows, Linux and Mac.
USB modems have the problem of having a far less stable connector. PCMCIA and ExpressCards are much easier to walk around with.
We have around 200 USB modems deployed and they are certainly more robust than cards.
Did Verizon give you the USB device for $4 without extending the contract?
No, 2-year contract upgrade standard.
The only thing I hate about USB devices like those is that they stick out so much and the USB connectors are so weak. If you’ve ever had a USB thumbdrive get “chopped” inadvertently, you know what I mean. It’s impossible to close the laptop and walk around with it plugged in. Likewise, if there’s ever a problem with your USB driver or another USB device causes conflicts, you can kiss goodbye your connections.
Card slots on the other hand I find much more durable. You can pick up and take the unit with you and still keep any cards securely plugged in, making it one less unit to carry (and lose) and doesn’t require any USB support. Card devices also have a dedicated connection to the PCI bus unlike USB which is shared through a host controller/hub.
It’s one of the great reasons I like the HP mininote so much. I can keep an express card broadband card plugged in the card slot, keep a 32GB SD card inserted in the SD card slot for removable storage, and still be able to pick the unit up and take it with me without unplugging gear or weighing me down with extras. Plus I can use both while still keeping my USB ports free for hard drives and optical drives.
Then there’s the option of using that same express card slot to add new ports like eSata and firewire 800, and now your humble little netbook suddenly becomes a LOT more capable.
Serious users all know this too well, but card slots DO make life cool. They not only make wireless broadband access a “plug in and forget” experience, but the vast connectivity options will bring out the most from your laptop/netbook investment.
I’ve had a USB modem. And various cards. And the USB is inherently less stable. As an ejected device (as in, drop it from a height alone, or carry in a backpack for a month) it might be more robust.
But when it sticks out four or five inches from the lappie it’s never going to be pick-uppable, as Luscious points out. The point of the card is to keep it in the device, which largely eliminates any physical robustness concerns.
If some company every develops a small USB modem — i.e. way smaller than the 720 or 727 — I’d check it out. I’ll stick with “grab your laptop and run”-friendly tech for now.
I wouldn’t mind making a switch to the 727, but I often use my PCMCIA EV-DO card with a Kyocera KR1 router. To switch now would cause me to have to also upgrade to a Kyocera KR2 router. Also, as mentioned above, I dislike using up a USB port when card slots are readily available.
O2 use a Huawei E270 which hangs off a short usb cable thus removing the risk of catching a USB stick.
All very good and valid points Gentleman. Unfortunately like so much in our beloved hobby / addiction, we have to use two devices to really get the features we want to have in certain applications. One thing that is nice, and not all know, it is very easy to do an ESN change ONLINE for your Broadband Card with Verizon. Just as simple as the Online ESN change for a phone within your My Verizon Website. I have not done this on Sprint although I cannot see why not since they also now have ONLINE ESN changer.
Having a card within the slot makes for a much easier “on the go experience, even when compared against a USB that flips upright. They are also getting smaller, my USB 720 is HUGE compared to my SPRINT Compass. Coupled with the fact that the COMPASS, like other USBs of late, is a GPS Module (Verizon still cripples there GPS features in their Broadband devices) and Micro SD card reader, that makes for a nice feature set and justifies the size. That in the fact that, as James notes, I also have several UMPCs, the USB port is then my only option.
With so many PC cards at killer prices on Ebay (I have gotten several Rev A cards for less then $30) it is cost efficient to grab an extra and have the best of both worlds. (It also eliminates the contract extensions) In fact I paid $45 shipped for my new in the box SPRINT Compass. I highly recommend the Compass for the Sprint Users, small, comes with nice carry bag and a very well thought out 6-8 inch USB Extension cable made out of a Rigid Wire that can be bent and stays in the shape you bend it. Makes the USB snap off or bend issue a little less prevalent, although still far from a perfect solution. But with an extension cable you can take the USB Dongle and velcro it to the back or side of the device and make it a bit more out of the way.