I'm with Verizon and I"m replacing my Samsung Convoy cell phone tomorrow ... I'm still within 30 day exchange period, so I can get either a basic phone, like Convoy, or a texting/email phone, or a smartphone (email + Web browsing). I"ve been leaning towards getting a Blackberry Bold but to cover USA and Canada, Verizon wants $65/month for 'global unlimited data'. And I already have a cellular modem that connects me to Internet anywhere in USA for $59.99, which costs 90 bucks to cancel.

What do you guys think? What's best: to have a basic phone for talking and full-blown Internet on your laptop; or full-blown Internet on your smartphone and limited occasional free Wi-Fi Internet on the laptop?

My next job has load boards that I must check for loads and having a cell phone and Internet access is a must, but it can also be useful to be able to send/receive emails.

I just have a regular cell phone and laptop with an air card. If you plan on using the internet to find loads you will find that it is much easier to read and navigate them when you have a computer. It may cost a little more to have both, but that is what I prefer. I also need to print, copy, send and receive faxes. That also is much easier when you have a computer and printer in the truck.

Laptop w/card and a cell phone is all I need. Efax has been a serious blessing. No hard copies are ever needed. I can sign and date and make notes/changes to any fax that comes into me and then fax it back, and I can sign and date and change any scanned document that is in my laptop and fax it. If I wanted to prepare my billing in the truck I would have to take along my printer, but I really appreciate not having to have any paper copies of any business in my truck.

I'm supposed to have a QualComm (according to some @ my company), but I refuse to, because it is not worth $13 or so a month.

I recently switched to Straight Talk cellular, because it is very cheap to have; only $30 a month gives me 1,000 minutes (that's 16 2/3 hours!) + 1,000 text messages + 20mB of data.

The box the phone comes in, and even the customer service people say you don't get rollover minutes - but I always have gotten them; rollover on EVERYTHING, so if I have an unusually busy month, I'm covered w/ the rollover minutes. One month, I was at 25 hours available.

They also have a totally unlimited minutes plan for $45 - for the blabbermouths!

The system they use is Verizon, so it is the best available.

BTW: Straight Talk is only available at Wal Mart.

30 bucks for 1000 min - that's a good deal. Unfortunately, I need coverage in both Canada and US and StraightTalk phones work only inside the continental US. Verizon covers both countries (no roaming/long distance) with their Nationwide + Canada plan. It's $79 for 900 min or $59 for 450. Which is still better than what I'd have to pay if I traveled in US with a Canadian phone...

Idea: Just stay out of that hell hole called Canada! :rofl:

No can do: that's where I live! Just got back from Port Huron, MI where I exchanged my brick-like Samsung Convoy for an ultra-light LG Accolade. Will have a basic phone that works everywhere in North America + full Internet access on the laptop via my Verizon USB stick.

I have Sprint and a Blackberry Tour..... $99 a month unlimited everything INCLUDING using the "phone as a modem". I just hook it up to my laptop with the USB cord and your cooking with gas.