The problem isn't mobile Internet but rather the prices the carriers charge. To put it bluntly the cost is excessive. On the other hand the absolute best feature of iPhone is always getting a connection.

Frankly though I'm not sure how this could be seen as a minor update. The problem is where is there provision in the current Mac Book line for such hardware. No provision to an internal expansion that I know about and not a lot of room either so we are talking new motherboard. That doesn't even get into the issue of antenna placement. So again I don't see this as a minor update.

Better than an update to the current portable line up would be a new model. Of course there is always the possibility that the rumor mill was confused right off the bat and has equated minor update and this capability as the same thing. I see cellular modems as best engineered into a device right from the start.

Dave

This is garbage. Who would use this? I would prefer to use the iPhone to tether $20/month instead of the $60/month a carrier would charge. This is essentially putting useless hardware into a machine that could use the space for something more important. How about FireWire in the MacBooks? Or how about the Macbook pro 15" the same battery (maybe doubling battery life) as the 17"? BTW the MacBook pro already has an ExpressCard slot for this.

This is either for a new product or just BS.

Maybe data plans in the US are quite expensive, but Apple is also looking to get a firm grip on the european markets where it is still not as popular as in the US.
And the EU has just recently introduced a new price-limit for data services.
This would make a lot of sense for many people, especially with T-Mobile (iPhone carrier in Germany) offering a second SIM-card for data-usage at a one-time 20 Euro price tag.

The only thing I would be worried about is the signal quality.
Inside a metal case it cant be setting new records and besides, there is no mini-pci slot left in any of the MacBook (Pro)'s...

But any fresh ideas are welcome...

  Including a 3G cellular data card in the MacBook won't make financial sense to either Apple or the consumer until cellular carriers start offering flat monthly fees that are comparable to landline data pricing. Currently it can cost upwards of 3 times or more to use a cellular data card compared to using a landline service. The reason for the higher cost is due to when users start downloading which results in them reaching their data bucket cap very quickly. If only used for browsing and email then cellular data cards are fine but not for anything else that is data intensive.

I've been paying $55 per month for over 8 years for the ability to be accessible on the road without a wifi connection. In that 8 years, I've broken 4 USB cards and had to buy new ones costing over $1000.

I know Dell has sold 10's of thousands of laptops with the Sprint card built-in. Those who can't appreciate the value of being connected to customers, may never be able to justify the additional cost, however, I believe there are many (like me) in the business world who will embrace a built in card.

I just bought a new 17" Unibody MacBook Pro last week and if this option were offered tomorrow, I would buy another one - even if the cost were $200 more.

This is not about the price of the data plan - it is about the technology being there to achieve this.

The price of mobile data plans will come down to a more affordable price and then we'll all be using our Mac's and smartphones to surf the net and conduct business wherever we are in the world.

No need for an office with tech like this!

$60 per month and up!