A 3G data card for your Mac?
Summary: Brief: IBook and Powerbook users currently can't use the UK's only 3G data service, but Vodafone is working on a fix
Vodafone is close to launching a Mac version of its Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card. The device is currently being tested by selected customers.The mobile phone giant mentioned that the testing programme was underway on Tuesday, when it announced its full-year financial results.
A Vodafone spokesperson was unable to say when a commercial launch might take place, or whether pricing for the product would differ from that of the PC version of the data card, which has been on the market since April.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the software used for this product has had to be given a substantial overhaul for the Mac version because it was originally written for an Intel-based laptop.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
Therefore you would only be able to use this card on the 15" and 17" PowerBooks.
Personally, I advise waiting for Vodafone to launch 3G voice services (this Autumn in the UK I believe) and then to use Bluetooth to do 3G data via the phone handset. This approach will almost certainly also avoid any driver hassles (just as using Bluetooth to do GPRS via a mobile phone avoids driver issues with Vodafones older 2G card).
Note: all models of iBook and PowerBook can do Bluetooth (either builtin or USB adaptor).
http://www.vodafone.de/business/support/37780.html
I successfully managed to install, connect and use a UK Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G Datacard in a G4 PowerBook using the Vodafone Germany software, from this website, I managed to use the card successfully to connect to the internet via GPRS (I don't actually live in a 3G area so couldn't test that side of things).
The software (which is based on the Nova Media UMTS software (which retails for 91 Euro) installed relatively easily, all the instructions are in English as is the accompanying installation PDF.
One problem, even though the volume was off, the card seems to play merry havoc with the speakers on the PowerBook causing static or interference through the speakers. This means that the card is pretty unusable in "quiet" situations. This problem is resolved if you use the external aerial that Vodafone provide.