What is the difference between a wireless card and a mobile broadband card?

Question

When shopping for a Dell laptop, I'm faced with the option of a Dell wireless card or a Dell wireless mobile broadband card.

What's the difference between the two?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The "wireless card" (more accurately wifi or IEEE 802.11) is for connecting to wireless access points like you can install in your house or are available in some airports or restaurants.

Mobile broadband uses the cell phone network; you can have internet access anywhere there's cell service, but you need to pay for the service.

Answer 2

The wireless card connects you to a local computer network, yours or a hotspot provider's which in turn is connected to the internet through an ISP. Mobile broadband is a direct cellular-phone type connection to a commercial internet provider like Sprint.

Answer 3

the dell actually uses cingular for the broadband card. It will cost you 59 bucks a month to use it, if you have a cingular phone account all ready. if not, it's going to cost you $100 a month.
the wireless card, wi-fi, only works when you are close to a hotspot or wireless router. the broadband card works virtually everywhere, anyplace a cell phone will work.