FWIW - I-net access without laptop in car
 

Maybe this is common knowledge, but I was recently stoked to learn it from a friend who's had, and heavily used, cell phones from day 1 of their existence - he was just made aware of it by his teen aged daughter (surprise, surprise :)!).

FWIW, regarding i-net connection without laptop:

TIP - On your cell phone, add "Google" to your contacts.

Enter 446 453 in the # field (Google's IM #).

Then, wherever you are, at whatever time of day or night, you can simply send an IM to google. A minute or so later, your phone will ring and you'll have an IM response from Google.

You can even query directions from point A to point B and you'll recieve detailed instructions, like using Google Maps, just without the map.