Tech help: cell phone

[Dave]

First off, let it be known that I am a late adopter of all things technology and gadgets just aren't my thing.

My wife and I both have LG Env3 phones with Verizon and are both very happy with them. However, we live out in the country and our internet is provided through this thing that plugs into a USB port on my computer (Verizon USB720 wireless modem). I like it b/c i can move it between the desktop or laptop, and we can take on a trip and have internet pretty much anywhere

My problem: For the same price as our current internet (or potentially cheaper), we could upgrade to one of these fancy phones that makes a wifi hotspot, have our same mobility, and potentially better phones. But I'm an idiot when it comes to this crap and don't even know what I need or am looking for. I know a bunch of you guys are really into this stuff, so I need suggestions/help for the following:

1) How do I set up my desktop to pick up the wifi hotspot from the phone? Do i need to install some new peice of hardware? I know the laptop will pick up wifi, so I'm assuming that one is good to go...

2) Phone suggestions - a tactile keyboard is a huge plus for both me and my wife, I don't really care much about apps (since I've never had them) but it would be really nice to be able to use the phone as a GPS as well. All I really currently use my phone for now is calling, texting, and occasionally the calendar or ability to take notes, so as long as I'm retaining that functionality I'll be happy. A camera is a plus for me, and a necessity for my wife so she can take pictures of our dog. I think it would be cool to be able to use it as an MP3 player and be able to sync with the car (so I don't need CDs any more), but neither of those is a must-have.
Remember, I've never had a phone that does this apps junk, so maybe I'm just in a state of "ignorance is bliss"...

[Jake]

One thing to keep in mind with what you are proposing. A lot of the new Android phones will do what you mention on the VZW network. However... the use is more intended for travel and occasional access I think, not a full-time internet service replacement. Make sure you check into the terms-of-use before signing away and ditching your current solution. A lot of the time, the "unlimited" data claim means it's "unlimited up to 5 GB." This works on a phone because you aren't doing a ton of demanding data over the cell network. I use my iPhone all the time for data, but between campus and home I'm usually on WiFi. Get where I'm going there?

Other thing... say you have this service set up on your fancy new DroidOMGBBQ. You then leave the house, taking your phone with you, and your wife wants to get online and check email or something. Suddenly you have no interwebs because you took them with you in your pants pocket.

I will say that it is way cool to plug into your car on a trip and have Pandora or Slacker radio streaming to the car speakers. Kind of like XM but for free. If your F-250 has the stock H/U still, I have an adapter from our Escape that will give you hard-wired aux inputs. PM me for info.

For the desktop, you'd need to add a WiFi adapter. Some are USB sticks, others are PCI cards that plug into the motherboard. Either way, install is easy and they are cheap.

[Apoc]

Doesn't VZW only allow voice or data, not both simultaneously? If so, you'd get knocked off the interwebs whenever someone called you.

FWIW, my dad lives out in the boondocks and has tried a number of things. He's found the dedicated device to be most convenient and hassle free.

[Dave]

Yeah, my research has led me to believe that if I received a call on my phone, my internet connection would get punted. That would get annoying if I'm logged in to work through it...

My idea is that both of us would get phones with this ability, so we could both be self sufficient in that regard. I also don't think we would be on the web at home as much if we could do it on the phone (since we mainly use it for email nowadays). That said, I do work from home sometimes, so that may be the biggest pain.

Regarding the data limitation, my current setup is limited to 5 GB and i don't think I've ever used more than 4 GB in a month. So, I'm more concerned that by having it available on our phones we'll actually be consuming MORE data than normal...

Jake, thanks for the answer on the WiFi adapter for the desktop. That definitely helped solve that part of the issue.

In the end, I was looking into the feasibility of this and it appears we still have 9 months until we're in the renewal zone for our contract. I have absolutely no desire to pay full price for one/two of these phones, so unless you guys know of a better way it would appear this is getting tabled for a few months. How the hell do some people change phones every time the new hotness comes out??