Functionality
Using the Internet on a laptop or desktop computer, provides a range of options that are not available or extremely limited on a smartphone. For example, updating a website or blog or viewing full webpages. Some websites have mobile pages that automatically appear when you enter the web address. These pages often have a fraction of the information contained in the full website in an attempt to make the site easier to read for mobile users.
Frequency of Use
If the only time you log onto the Internet is to check your email, you can probably bypass paying for Internet services. Many people use the Internet as a place to obtain information. If you already have other methods of procuring information, paying for Internet services and a mobile phone with browsing capabilities may be overkill. However, if you use the Internet frequently, browsing from your phone can be a nuisance as some webpages will have text too small to view in a mobile phone browser.
Graphics
To view the full experience of certain websites, a computer is required. Webpages with flash, video or other advanced graphics may not show correctly on a smartphone. This information could be essential in finding the information you need about a company or activity. For example, some flash pages have company addresses, overviews of services and catalogs in flash. Choosing to pay for Internet services can give you full range on viewing multimedia using the latest software updates. From your mobile device, software updates are extremely limited.
Tethering
Tethering your mobile device to your computer gives you access to the Internet through your phone service. This is a low-cost method of gaining Internet access for many smartphone users. However, you can only gain access to the Internet where you have cell phone coverage and the speed of your connection is slow compared to land line connections. Since cell phone coverage can be unreliable, using a hard Internet line is preferable.