VerizonWireless: Free 3G Mobile Hotspot with Palm Pre/Pixi Plus

I like my HTC Touch Pro 2 but I don't love it.  It's one of the few global phones from VerizonWireless.  I will admit that my TP2 worked beautifully when I traveled abroad last year (and the unlimited international data plan was great!).  But WinMo leaves a lot to be desired so I've been thinking about getting a new cellphone lately.  (I would still use my TP2 when traveling abroad.)  No...I can't get an iPhone.  I would love to do so but I can't leave VerizoneWireless.  The coverage really is super reliable!  So I'm thinking about the Palm Pre Plus.  It's supposed to be user-friendly AND it can act as a 3G Mobile Hotspot.  This "tethering" feature used to cost $40 a month but it's now free with any Palm Pre/Pixi Plus.  It's so very tempting; this would mean that I could have VerizonWireless 3G coverage on my soon-to-be-purchased iPad.  I also wouldn't have to purchase the more expensive 3G version of the iPad.  It's starting to sound like a win/win situation...