Yes but its half the cost of the Alden system with similar running costs. If its for business use then its worth it. If Was full timing I would probably need the Internet to do work remotely and although I have so far survived with dongles and wifi antennas they are not guarentees of good access. So of profesional use I would have one. All tax and VAT deductable as well. My Camos was £1350 so if I could have had one of those for not much more I probably would have had,
Barry, you are right in that there certainly is a price difference (of £1150 on the current 75cm, less on the "new" system due for launch in September), but compared with other "like for like" Automatic satellite systems using the ipcopter service (approx £250.00), the Alden is cheaper and has the capability of locking to a total of 5 different satellite networks (Astra 1 & Hotbird to name a couple) with an Free to Air receiver as standard. A simple push of a button system - fully automatic system.
Semi Automatic systems can have a cost effective way of using these services and I DO NOT discourage anyone exploring these avenues, but most of the time people want ease of use, stability and the easy way of removing such an expensive piece of equipment from van to van, rather than leave large holes and explaining to the dealer what you have removed. Secondly most of the customers seen through our workshops like the idea of being able to just "push a button" and let it get on with the task in hand. Not only to mention that they also will use the equipment out of Astra 2D's TV footprint, so like the appeal of looking at alternative satellite networks is considered a benefit - but this is the opinion/feedback from our customers.
My purpose here is merely to put in feedback relating to a question and cannot see any gain into getting into a roaming debate on whom's product/service is the best. There are plenty of units on the market that have their own benefits as well as faults. It's all down to what your expecting at the end of the day, as they say "The Choice is Yours". Only you and you alone can pick your path.
Bottom line is this, if you are dependent on stable and reliable internet in Europe then ANY FORM OF INTERNET SATELLITE (whatever choice you make) is the best route to take (certainly on a business basis). If you have time on your hands and there is no rush to access the net, then wait for a convenient stop and try and source local WiFi spots/internet cafes or use dongles by all means.
Me personally have a dongle and a Blackberry phone, but the idea of me working during my holiday's is not worth the grief I would get from Mrs J so work is strictly "Off Menu"!! Just wait for a chance to log on somewhere, do what I need to do, then off to enjoy the holiday that I've driven hundreds of miles for.