Mobile internet with datacard

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Hope some of you technical specialists may be able to give me good advice. I'm a freelance writer living and working in the Isle of Man, and I'd like to work through the mobile internet so I can enjoy the beauty of the island every day instead of being stuck at home.

I have a 17" Mac Book Pro and would need to use a datacard and a data contract from the island's main telecoms provider, Manx Telecom. Some questions:

1 Will it be possible to get a datacard for the Mac that will work well for the mobile internet? Do I need anything else to connect?

2 What sort of speed can I expect relative to my 2MB home internet connection?

3 Which level of tariff should I opt for? I was thinking of the largest, which includes 2GB of data per month as I need to remain in constant contact with my clients and send and receive numerous emails per day - what do others think?

4 Should I be able to get the mobile internet anywhere I can get a mobile phone signal? (This is about 98% of the island.)

5 If I'm roaming in the UK and travelling by train, should I be able to get a reliable enough signal to send and receive emails? (Intermittently would do, so long as it's fairly regularly.)

6 Can I use my Mail client in the normal way to send and receive emails on the move?

Thanks for all your help!
 
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Vodaphone branded data cards work with OSX not sure about Manx Telecom since I'm not sure who manufacture their data cards.
With my Nokia N95 tethered to my Macbook as a modem I get about 100kb/s download which is more than enough for internet browsing, email and the odd download. Of course your speed will depend on your 3G coverage which is worth looking in to. I'm not sure what happens when you don't have 3G coverage and only normal phone coverage. I'm guessing that you can connect to the net just alot slower.
I have a 3GB fair usage policy which is enough for me. I use it five days a week at college and numerous time using the internet on the phone itself. I should imagine that 2GB is enough for e-mail. Look in to what happens if you do go over your usage limit some providers charge high prices for data usage.
I find the coverage reliable while on the move. When I was in the back of the car on a journey to Birmingham my connection was stable and fast the whole duration.
Everything works pretty much the same once you are connected there should be no need to change your e-mail client.
Hope that helps a little.
 
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Well, it's all working - thanks, nirvana! I get about 850kb/s downstream and 300kb/s upstream via the 3.5G HSDPA network over here. I can get coverage nearly everywhere on the island, except for some very low-lying beaches. I'll now have it try it out on roaming in the UK, and see what sort of connection I can get over there.
 

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