Why is David Pogue excited about the MiFi?

[Concerned Citizen]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/te...7pogue.html?em

It seems like the dumbest idea ever. A USB 3G connection + network sharing does the exact same thing. Maybe dumbest idea ever is a bit of an overstatement, but it's hardly revolutionary. What especially confuses me is that he talks about this thing being an alternative to 3G, and yet it uses 3G with equally expensive data plans.

[MrBrett]

Remember that it's really just a portable wireless router with a 3G modem for internet connectivity - so you can use it to get online from multiple small devices without carrying around any large bulky equipment. You could easily put this and a PDA or any other device with only a WiFi modem into your pocket and still access the internet. Plus, any of your friends within a 30' radius can also use it. It's definitely not revolutionary like the article makes it out to be, but it's not useless either. You always have to read technical articles from non-technical sources (NY Times) with a filter, throwing out the fanaticism, since the writers don't understand why the stuff they're writing about works, and thus tend to always have "HOLY **** THIS IS SO AWESOME" writing style.