Novatel Wireless Ovation MC950D USB HSPA Modem - Conclusions
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You’ve come to the end of this review. Right before we rate this product, the Ovation MC950D HSDPA USB modem, we would like to clarify some really important key points. Approaching and reviewing a device that cannot be tested independently and called “stand-alone” means that sensitive measures should be taken.
This is especially important because it does not make sense to affect the rating of the product per se because of the bad luck you had in finding a third party company, which obviously decreased its overall performance. This kind of behavior certainly does not help any sort of deontological process.
(Image Courtesy of Novatel Wireless)
Keeping this in mind, we’re going to rate this product a 9 on a scale from one to ten. One of the main reasons we subtracted one point is that during our tests we noticed some level of overheating while on HSUPA-based connection. This wasn’t as significant while on HSDPA. This does not hinder its overall performance, but it is not excluded either.
This is a sensitive issue because, unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to test more than one product. So it isn’t improbable that the MC950D we got our hands on might have been a release that runs on higher temps during HSUPA usage, while the rest would be barely warm at all. Also, we shouldn’t exclude the fact that perhaps Vodafone has done something to the modem. But this is unlikely since Novatel mentions only re-branding and other activities to fit in its business models.
On another note, the software package that is pre-shipped with the modem can definitely be improved, especially its graphical user interface. Right now it’s usable and quite basic, but, nonetheless, it does its job. However, some people expect fancy graphics. We didn’t consider this as a drawback because we prefer functionality over eye candy anytime. Therefore and altogether, we recommend the MC950D modem!
You might as well as check out its little sister the Ovation MC930D. It is somewhat cheaper because it supports only single-band 2100MHz UMTS on the 3G technologies with the de facto standard quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 2G standards, such as GPRS/EDGE. The MC950D sports tri-band 850/1900/2100MHz on UMTS. Before you decide, research and ask your local operator for information!
Summing this up, Novatel’s innovative MC950D broadband modem is more than a worthwhile investment when you find yourself requiring absolute flexibility and portability in terms of Internet connectivity. It is a high performing product that shows a lot of potential and headroom for the future, and we’ve proved this by analyzing its architecture in depth. Nevertheless, it comes for a fair price SIM-free.
We advocate investigating your area and asking your favorite carriers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica, Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, etc. Unlimited deals are the best bang for the buck. Don’t just jump into the first deal that comes around. Always research and be skeptical. Let them sell and prove themselves to you.
If you consider portable Internet connectivity to be a priority and can afford to maintain a device like this (monthly paying the plan), then you can reap its benefits – Internet on the road, at work, and at home — global capabilities on plug-and-play with the world’s smallest modem.
Thanks for reading this review. I hope you found it informative and educational. Now we’d like to invite you to join our friendly community of professionals and enthusiasts in the fields of computer hardware, software, and consumer electronics at “DevHardware Forums.” There you can also chime in and tell us what you think.
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