Ubisurfer - mini laptop and free internet for life

Stuart_W

Datawind, the company that make the Pocketsurfer have now launched "Ubisurfer" - an extremely basic low-end mini laptop which allows surfing the internet and some very basic applications running a Linux operating system. It has wifi connectivity when you are in range of a signal, but also includes a built-in SIM card which uses the Vodafone network and GPRS to provide a basic connection, and built in compression technology at the server-end to increase page loading speed.
It comes with 1GB of internal storage for files, USB ports, ethernet connection, headphone socket and not much else - it really is at the very basic end of what it can do - but the big difference is this deal that Datawind have with Vodafone network to offer unlimited connectivity via the GPRS signal for the life of the device for a one-off £59.99. The device itself is £149, with 30 hours a month of GPRS access included for the first year if you don't want to pay for the one-off access.

Cashback through Quidco means the device from Maplin, and the for-life access totals under £200 as a one off payment for as long as it lasts.

I have a second-hand pocketsurfer and will soon be coming to the end of the free year and I am considering this device. I think I would prefer this to a mobile phone to check email on the move and when I'm away from home. Wifi signals are becoming so much more common - even on my local bus service now! - this might be worth it, with the GPRS option a bonus for a back up.

Any thoughts from anyone else? Anyone got this device?

Esqui

Is it only GPRS? For most uses, that will be quite painfully slow.

But if you don't mind, that's a rather fantastic deal

Stuart_W

Yes, the free data connection does work via GPRS - so much slower than broadband. It uses some kind of compression technology that means the web pages actually load fully at the server end and then transmit as blocks of image to the device - so it makes the best possible use of a slow connection, better than I remember dial-up to be.
Because of this method, video and audio streaming are not possible when connected to the built-in connection using the ubisurfer web browser, but if wifi is available then the firefox browser will allow streaming.
Their pocketsurfer uses the same system, so I am under no illusion that this doesn't come close to comparing to high speed broadband connections (or even low speed broadband connections) but for basic emailing is fine for me.

Branches of Maplins should be able to demo the product if anyone wants to take a look.
Also found this video: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/25470/video-datawind-ubisurfer-connected-netbook