Has anybody used the wireless modems that the cell companies sell? Is the service any good? I'm trying to figure out the least expensive way to get the internet when I move into my basement apartment.

The local ISPs are running $30 to $50 a month and I was wondering if wireless was cheaper.

I use them. I like them, but then, I have no choice. No landlines of any kind to me.

Wireless would definitely not be cheaper, and it has a bandwidth limit. But it would be faster than dial-up, but slower that most other options.

It would also be dependent on cel signal. Do you get a good clear signal in the basement? There are ways to amplify the signal, but perhaps ways that a tenant couldn't do.

Techistas, any recommended OCR program, or are the free ones good enough?

Also, newbie Drobo question: once you plug the thing, how other computers interact with it? The Ethernet? I'm asking to know, if I use two Drobos in two different location, can a person on point a have easy access to the Drobo at b, and vice versa, and not only to Drobo at point a?

Edit: recommendations on scanners with feeder and vicious capacity of feeding/scanning documents, fast will be useful.

Thanks, Liese, my Verizon cell phone works okay. I'm just appalled at what broadband costs here. It was cheaper in Kansas City!

With Drobo, most versions are built for attachment to one computer, and then you share like you would any other local hard disk. If you get the FS (stands for file share) then you can plug right into the router and it can be seen from any computer. In either case there is software that needs to be installed on any computer that needs to see the Drobo.

There is other stuff the Drobo FS can, like running web and FTP servers, but won't go into that because probably not something you want to do

Thanks, Typo!

(And actually, these exactly some of the things I want to explore with these toys (yes, I'm taking the FS version). They're exciting).

Shir,

I'm not sure what your needs specifically are, but I love my ScanSnap.

For OCR, I believe ScanSnap software has it, but I use Adobe Acrobat Pro for serious OCR needs.

selloutwoot.com has 2TB drives for $99, and sister site moot! (woot upside down) has the 1TB for $69. [link]

[link]

Thanks, le nubian!

I'm starting to fall for hard drives. All this tech... it's got a thing, you know?

ION, once again I approach teh hivemind: what's your dream computer/hardware for office needs? Netbooks opinions are also welcomed.

Interested also on netbook question. Since mine died, living without, but next time I travel would really like one.