4G at Its Best! Review of the T-Mobile Rocket 4G USB Stick

As Sun Tzu once said- "Speed is the essence of war... and computers." While that's not quite accurate, were he born in modern times, I'm sure that's how the saying would go. Let me say that if there's one thing T-Mobile brings to the table, its speed. The T-Mobile Rocket 4G is a surprisingly fast device- one that through the capabilities of 4G dwarfs competing services. For those wondering how significant the jump from 3G to 4G is, the T-Mobile Rocket would like to have a word with you. My Dell Latitude running Windows XP performed like a dream. No matter where you, if you've got the USB dongle, you can plug it in and access the net.

I cannot stress enough how impressively fast T-Mobile's Rocket is. This USB device is easy to plug in and use and left me speechless. It connects quickly no matter where I tested it- from my backyard to Overton Park. Whether I was surfing across mundane news pages or hitting the most technically advanced websites- it performed impeccably. I did have some concerns when the unit initially grew somewhat hot, but this lasted only a minute before cooling off. During this heated period my browser did freeze, but this too was temporary.

The 4G USB stick is lightweight, soft, and clearly made of quality materials. I felt proud pulling out the little device, flipping the USB port out, and plugging it in. The unit forms a connection seamlessly and is very straightforward program-wise. Right away I could tell it was designed with user-friendliness and aesthetic charm in mind. The adjustable USB tip is great for any setup- though it feels a little loose at times. It's not quite enough to shake out of place, but it does jiggle around a bit. On the plus side, the USB stick also doubles as a mini-USB adapter- a feature I really appreciated.

My confidence in the T-Mobile Rocket grew with each minute of web surfing outside my home. While touring the net, 4G proved to be an extremely efficient, convenient service. The T-Mobile Rocket comes pre-loaded with your Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. This was certainly a relief because removing it or replacing it is something of a headache.

Installation begins automatically upon insertion, though should it need to be manually activated; it's a walk in the park. The installation likely goes much faster on Windows 7, but my XP operating system took about sevem minutes to complete installation. My limited experience with the train-wreck that was Vista keeps me from commenting on it here.

The T-Mobile Connection Manager should normally install quickly and is easy to navigate. Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 are all supported with varying degrees of success and capabilities. I recommend making sure your laptop has sufficient RAM (1 gig) to take advantage of the T-Mobile Rocket's capabilities. Laptops with lower specs will benefit as well, but the effect is less pronounced. If you're expecting 4G to turn your HP clunker into a top-notch notebook, you're going to be disappointed. It does speed and convenience, not miracles.

After utilizing the 4G access with Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox, the results were interesting. IE and Firefox offered up optimal performances- easily outdoing the rest of the browsers. Chrome performed more than adequately, but with its lack of features, it was a slight letdown. Hit or miss was the best way to describe my experience with Safari on 4G. It didn't perform badly, but it stalled a few times. While using Netflix to stream movies on the aforementioned browsers, all but Safari offered excellent performance. My lack of an Opera browser caused it to be left out of this comparison.

With movie streaming proven to be excellent, it was time to move on to something more exciting. Video games! While I'm no PC gamer by nature, it was a real treat to game on a 4G connection. I started things off with the face-paced, Arcade-style shooter- Unreal Tournament 3. My connection was, put simply, fantastic. Lag was minimal if existent at all and the gameplay, flawless. A couple of frantic matches with some friends had me sold on the potential of 4G. It's not quite a substitute for a wired connection, but it's the closest I've ever gotten. It did stutter once in a while, but that's to be expected with this sort of connection.

After Unreal Tournament 3 flexed its might alongside 4G, I decided to try an MMORPG. I loaded up Sega's Spiral Knights to test it with T-Mobile Rocket. This action RPG inspired by Legend of Zelda: Four Swords played like a dream with the 4G connection. The levels loaded swiftly and the combat went uninterrupted. As a final test, I started up Atlantica Online. While the effect was diminished on this real-time, turn-based hybrid, it was still impressive.

My last test for the T-Mobile Rocket would be based in downloading. I was pleased to see it take no time at all to download a Finger Eleven song. The 4G device had no trouble with an audio file of 3MB, but what about something larger? I decided to download a few games clocking in at around 200MBs each. All were completed impressively quickly.

Web surfing, movie streaming, and online gaming all proved to perform excellently when done with the T-Mobile Rocket's 4G connection. Even under the most demanding conditions, it kept a reliable connection and was exceptionally fast. Whether I was loading a video or facing off against a friend in a game, I suffered minimal lag and was met with optimal performance and speed.

I urge any consumers on the fence about whether or not 4G is the real deal to take the plunge. The difference is night and day- don't hesitate to pull the trigger on T-Mobile's Rocket. I must sincerely thank both Yahoo and T-Mobile for the opportunity to use and review their service and USB device. The T-Mobile Rocket utilized in this review was provided free of charge and I was compensated for my article.