Mike and Pat: My wife and I have both just started on our our 'Great Loop cruise".We are partial retirees needing to keep in touch with work and family via email. We also wanted to have email on our laptops so we could maintain the email resources we have compiled over the years. After searching out the many options, including many of those suggested by Skipper Bob, I settled on Verizon's Mobile Offiice. I have a Qualcomm 2035 cell phone hooked up to my laptop which is giving us a 14.8 kbs access rate. If you use the compression software that comes with the Mobile Office they claim 28,8 kbs access rate. We are on the Ohio and so far this has worked great!--whether our coverage will be as good in all places is the big question. But as someone said--cruising is not supposed to require daily contact--two or three times a week will do us just fine. Anyway--if you wish to see more details: Verizon Wireless www site/Mobile Office has the details. A Verizon sales center should be able to demo the system. Doug H.--BRAVO! Rayland Marina- Rayland Ohio--Mile 81.5 -- ******************* ADDRESS, ETC. ******************* Douglas Hobson, Ph.D Tel: 412-383-6586 University of Pittsburgh Department of Rehab. Science and Technology Fax: 412-383-6596 School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Rm. 5044, Forbes Tower TTD: 412-383-6598 Pittsburgh, PA 15260 e-mail: dhobson@pitt.edu RERC: http://www.rerc.upmc.edu WheelchairNet : http://www.wheelchairnet.org