Had I not done the speed test, though, I may not have noticed or cared. The iPad had no issues at all. I wasn't sitting around cursing technology while waiting impatiently for email to arrive, or Web pages to load.

The tethered data service seemed so smooth, I decided to stress test it even more. I opened up the CNN app and browsed the news, then tapped on a video clip of the news and it streamed flawlessly--no buffering, no stuttering. Just smooth video. Same goes for watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix, or an episode of Entourage on the HBO Go app.

I have two big caveats from this experiment, though. First, using the iPhone 4 as a personal hotspot much faster than normal. Second, the iPad data plan alone provides 2GB of data for $25. The iPhone tethered hotspot plan gives you 4GB of data to share between the devices for $45 per month. Either way, it won't take too many Netflix movies to eat that up, so be careful how you use the 3G data connection.

It is also worth noting that Verizon offers a variety of 4G smartphones and hotspot devices that may work better than my iPhone 4, and that AT&T as well is network coverage and compatible devices. Unfortunately, current that the iPhone 5 or iPad 3 will be equipped to join the 4G revolution--in spite of the fact that are under the mistaken impression that the "4" means their iPhone does 4G already.

I wouldn't want to rely on the tethered 3G connection too much due to the battery drain, and bandwidth cap issues, but it works quite nicely should the need arise. To be fair, though, my notebook has 3G capability (not currently enabled because I never use it), and I could also use my iPhone 4 personal hotspot with the notebook while on the go.