Subtitle - Ubuntu ROCKS!!!
This morning I got my T-mobile HDSPA card back. It's a PCMCIA card which I use to connect to the internet. I've had it for about two years now, and having finally found myself a stable base, have been using it less and less.
Since I last used it, I've got myself a new laptop - and it's running Ubuntu Intrepid. I was a bit concerned about setting up the datacard, as last time I set it up (circa 9 months ago) it was a bit of a struggle, and I could only use KPPP to connect to network, after entering some arbitary settings.
Today - I plugged in the card. It was immediately recognised, and libnotify was used to let me know I could configure the card now. I simply selected my network provider from a drop-down list, and clicked apply. Thanks to the wonderfulness of Network-Manager applet - I can now simply click on the icon to switch between networks - including my new 3G connection.
It's streamlining like this that is much harder to do with a proprietary system. This is all about using the people at the end of the long tail to add their 2 pence worth.
Ubuntu ROCKS!