Tether phone to laptop ??

Does anyone do this?? i know it can be done, but i'm wondering about phones and 'data' plans.

Long story short.... DH's laptop is dying - has been limping along since last summer.
Our internet during the summer months is awful -- and someone mentioned to us about 'going this route'

We've been with Sprint forever and a day .... but they are not willing to "budge" on the plan we were looking at, and instead of 'working with us' on a better price [which they have done in the past] they recommended that we switch to Virgin Mobile [their sister company]

we looked up the reviews, and their plans look too good to be true -- and many reviews of the company are just terrible.

So -- DH is off to Best Buy to look at phones ... the 'android' ones and see what they recommend.

We may keep our Sprint plan [$50 a month for 2 phones] and buy one of those smart phones and a monthly pay as you go for the data plan so we can get internet - thru the phone and tethered to a laptop. From what we can tell, the Virgin Mobile has unlimited data and 300 minutes for calls, for $25 a month. [too good to be true??]

We are thinking of going with a pay as you go plan, that way we are not tied to a contract.

Anyone have any recommendations??

TIA -

Terese