I currently have Nextel service on a 7100i and I HATE it. It used to work alright just a few weeks ago... but now I never get any service and my phone is practically bricked because of the service.

I want to know... which service would be the best for speed... like using the device as a modem for your laptop or car computer. Im not so sure about the comparison between EV-DO and EDGE... but ive heard that the speeds are similar. Ive heard Sprint holds the EV-DO, and Cingular has the EDGE... and I cant decide between the two. Im leaning more to Sprint though, because I know the new 7130i ( is it i for sure? because that sounds more like nextel.) because I've fallen in love with suretype.

Also... this is a little bit off the topic of blackberrys... but has anyone tried the Aircard thing from sprint? If so... how are the speeds in well signaled areas?

I need some sort of internet connection to my car computer, and if a sprint EV-DO phone or a EDGE cingular phone will work better... I wont bother getting an Aircard.

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Regarding EV-DO vs EDGE check the coverage maps for Verizon and Cingular and go from there. EDGE is slower, but rolled out in a far greater area than EV-DO.

FWIW, Cingular is going to be releasing their 7130c soon. It is supposed to support yethering.

Is there a difference of speed between the two?

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Yes. EV-DO is quite a bit faster than EDGE. The latter tops out at around 350kbps I believe, whereas the former can hit up to 2Mbps if the conditions are right.

EV-DO it is

You still need to make sure there is adequate coverage where you will be using it. Just because its faster, doesn't mean it willbe the best option for you.

Well, ive had a few people come over to my house frequently and they've always had great signal and theyre on Sprint. Ill call tomorrow and see the coverage for my area from verizon.

...which has little to do with what you're asking...

Unless they're getting great EV-DO signal, I'd do a little more research. Regular Sprint signal is going to be a whole different ball of wax, as it were.

Good luck.

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Hmmm. I have edge and am happy with the speed. Ev-do is a great alternative but until the coverage is as good as edge it would be pointless

And from what I understand, just because it is sprint coverage it may not be ev-do coverage.

EV-DO coverage is rolled out only over a portion of Sprint's network, the rest being 1xRTT which maxes out at 144Kbps at absolute best and 60 to 80Kbps is average. EDGE has a far greater coverage area than EV-DO currently, and it maxes out at 230Kbps or thereabouts on class 10 devices and averages anywhere from 80Kbps to 140Kbps depending on your area and the network. EV-DO maxes out at 2Mbps and average speeds are 400Kbps to 700Kbps, but if you are mostly in a 1xRTT area then you will rarely see those kinds of speeds.

Look at the EV-DO coverage map and decide for yourself (brown areas are Power Vision): www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/coverage/NatwideNetwk.jsp

EVDO is not even a consideration where I'm at. While Verizon's standard CDMA system has coverage all over, the closest Verizon EVDO coverage is at least an hour and a half drive away. EDGE is all over the place where I am right now.