My makeshift 3G iPad

Using MiFi to make the iPad more mobile

By Keith Shaw on Wed, 05/19/10 - 9:49am.

Since getting the Wi-Fi only version of the Apple iPad, I've been using it in two main locations - at home and at work, which both have very good Wi-Fi connections and a higher-speed backhaul.

That changes today, as I'm heading to New York for a quick trip, and I wanted to see how the experience would be away from those two safe confines.

For the 3G connection, I'm using the Novatel Wireless MiFi device, which has a Verizon Wireless 3G connection, and then I Wi-Fi (can I use Wi-Fi as a verb?) into that with the iPad.

In testing with the free SpeedTest X iPad app, I achieved about 1 Mbps of download speed with the MiFi. Not bad for mobile broadband, but what of the iPad experience?

My first stop was the Netflix app, which streamed a TV show in my Instant queue quite nicely. Netflix recently updated its app for 3G streaming, so if you had an earlier version, make sure you update it. The ABC Player app also streamed TV shows over the 3G connection, but it seemed to throttle down the resolution on the video in order to use the smaller pipe. The only trouble I had with streaming video was with the YouTube app, which didn't appear to optimize for the 3G connection, so I got a few seconds of video and then had to wait for more buffering. But sometimes that happens with YouTube on a really fast connection, too.

Streaming media apps Pandora and Slacker also had no problem streaming audio over the 3G connection. I did have a couple of buffering issues with the AOL Radio app trying to listen to local radio (it was an iPhone app that I've ported to the iPad).

The USA Today app was able to connect to its stories relatively quickly, although displaying photos took noticeable time. The New York Times' Editor's Choice app also pulled up its text quite nicely, with a very slight delay in photo loading.

Those were the most data-intense apps on the iPad, so doing less intensive things like checking e-mail or updating a Twitter feed were easy-peasy.

What made this experience more impressive was that I was testing this during a LimoLiner bus ride, where the 3G connection at 65mph could fluctuate greatly depending on our location on the Boston-to-New York journey. I would imagine the experience would be even better with a strong 3G connection in a static location.

Overall this was a good experience. Does this mean I should run out and get the 3G-enabled iPad? Let's not get too excited - after all, the 3G connection was Verizon, not AT&T. But if you find yourself using the iPad in areas beyond Wi-Fi, the Mi-Fi connection might be a good option for you. It's also a good option for summer vacation season, where you could create your own Wi-Fi/3G bubble in your car.