Total cost for my mobile office...
Toshiba laptop with rebate $950
External floppy drive $75 (optional)
Cell Phone $49 plus $36 set up fee
Cell to laptop cable and software $40
Inkjet Printer/copier/fax machine (bought 3 months ago) $138 (optional)
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Hardware total: $1,288 plus associated taxes
Monthly Big-Zoo ISP for dial-up $8
Sprint Service (2000 minutes, 2 phone lines, unlimited calling between phones, free roaming, PCS Vision, unlimites nights and weekends, free long distance, etc.) $110 month
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Total software cost: $118 month plus taxes
Not exactly cheap, but this system is replacing my desk-top computer, my previous cell phone, my "real" phone, providing all my long distance, Internet access and providing a cell phone for my mother (she drives a 27year old car, I really want her to have a phone). All with more power and faster speed than the system I am replacing (but also with more bugs possible). I plan to almost full-time for about 6 months, maybe more. I would not have spent this much for the occasional weekend trip. I am trying to make it possible to work from anywhere and I do writing/PR/marketing, making this setup necessary for survival.
If you already own various components it would be cheaper. Also, you can go with a cheaper plan.
And, from what I can see, most of this will not work the minute I cross into Canada. Ah well, no system is perfect!
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