Today a prototype of the first EV-DO ExpressCard/34 to hit the market, Novatel's X620, arrived here at PC Labs. Tomorrow, I'm taking it out to test throughout New York City, but for now I wanted to tantalize you with a few photos of the card plugged into a MacBook Pro.
Novatel's card is important because a growing number of notebooks - from Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP and others - only have ExpressCard slots, and up until now, high-speed cellular has only come on phones and PC Cards.
Novatel is building the card for both Sprint's and Verizon's networks. I'll be testing it on Verizon's. The card doesn't come with any Mac drivers, but I got it running just fine in Windows XP on our MacBook Pro using Boot Camp, and on an HP Pavilion dv5000. Novatel told me previously that the Mac drivers will come as part of an online update from Apple, once the card is released.
So far, the card works just like a PC Card. Load the new version of VZAccess Manager that comes with the card, pop it in, and it works. I was zipping along at 700 kbps in minutes.
(Click on the photos to zoom. The dongle above the ExpressCard is for the wireless Logitech mouse we use when the MacBook Pro is running XP.)
More soon on pcmag.com.
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April 13, 2006 4:04 PM
Definitely good news! I was worried that there wouldn't be one anytime soon, and I'm glad to see that they've come to market so quickly with an EV-DO card. My mobile browsing dreams come true!
April 17, 2006 10:17 AM
What is EV-DO? Is that a standard compatible to anything in Europe? Thanks, cyman
April 17, 2006 11:45 AM
EV-DO is part of the evolution of CDMA mobile phones, and it is not available in Western Europe. (There are a few EV-DO networks available in Eastern Europe; the biggest networks are in Japan (with KDDI), Korea and North America.) Novatel is making an HSDPA ExpressCard, as well, and that's a network they use in Europe. But I only really cover US technology releases.
April 17, 2006 11:53 AM
Will we have to run windows like the laptop in the picture?
April 17, 2006 10:43 PM
we have 4 cdma operator in Indonesia and all of them will be offering evdo by end of 2006. At the moment 1 operator already have evdo in some of their system. it will be selling very well when this evdo card available in Indonesia. Looking forward to it...
April 18, 2006 4:24 PM
Mac OS X drivers will be made available via a Software Update once the card is officially released.
May 5, 2006 2:30 AM
In the US Cingular has rolled out a HSDPA network. In Australia the only remaining EV-DO network is being shut down and replaced with a HSDPA network. (Telstra) HSDPA is an evolved UMTS, and fully compatible
May 9, 2006 10:34 PM
Love to get a Telstra compatible ExpressCard34 for my MBP, but on another point - if you want a mouse that seamlessly works in both OSX and XP when using BootCamp, grab the Logitech V270 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,contentid=10916,crid=2146,commerceid=2536) as it uses the MPB's built-in Bluetooth and it just works once it is paired once in both. You'll need to install the XP software from the disc supplied to get it to detect the mouse, but once done - no more dongles! Regards, Shane.
May 19, 2006 3:48 AM
I always wondered why Mac was so far behind when it came card slots that allowed for true wireless access, and am glad that the issue finally seems to be resolved. Unfortunately, in terms of Macs, you can only get the port on the MacBook Pro and not on the new MacBook. Regardless, anyone have an idea when the Sprint version with an OSX driver will be released. Thanks.
October 10, 2006 2:43 PM
When is this card available and if so which EvDO vendors are supported? Appreciate any info. Thanks