One-time payment for unlimited internet on U.K. PocketSurfer

PocketSurfer 2 is a little QWERTY clamshell device that does for the web what Peek does for email: as in, nothing but the web. You turn it on, and you got yourself a web browser hooked up to a cellular internet connection. Simple, no-nonsense, single-purpose gadgetry.

Brits will pay £200 for it, which might seem horrible given that the American edition, called the PC Edge, is only $200. But whereas U.S. customers have to fork out for a full scale $25 monthly data plan ($30 if you don't get a contract!), users in the U.K. just pay £40 a year for unlimited access, or £60 for a lifetime sub.

I played around with an earlier version of one of these. It's extremely light and pocketable, and it's great having a nice big screen for portable web access, but that oh-so-pretty keyboard can't be typed on properly.

DataWind PocketSurfer2 Launched [Ubergizmo]

[#1 posted by Anonymous , October 5, 2008 9:50 AM]

Eeer, I hate to say ths, but the pocket surfer 2 has been available for over a year and a half on both sides of the atlantic, though. the unlimited offer for UK users may be new.

[#2 posted by NetbookComputers , October 5, 2008 4:15 PM]

The size is a bit awkward. Why not stick with the smartphone for pocket-surfing and get a netbook computer. Netbooks are cheap and portable and you can see the screen.
Netbook keyboards are about 80-90% of full size laptops. They are great for business, education or pleasure.

[#3 posted by Felix Mitchell , October 7, 2008 5:29 AM]

Any more details on the lifetime internet connection? For £260 I'd buy the device simply to share the connection with my PC if it gave me unlimited broadband forever.

There's probably all sorts of crap conditions though which make this a useless offer instead of amazing. Who's providing it anyway?