Yeah. Never had the issue with the Samsung 1.0 or even the Airvana 2.0; the former was purchased outright, the latter was provided by Sprint at no charge. I have had both unplugged in the past, for one reason or another, for as long as a couple of months. Only with the 2.5 model (which they sent to replace a faulty 2.0 model) has there ever been a demand that it be "always on."
I suppose if I had purchased it outright, the same restriction might not apply (although you're locked into a contract unless you want to pay $280). The few times I considered buying one (both the 2.0 and the 2.5 models), I've always been told it is out of stock. Now that I'm familiar with the Airvana models, I don't think I'd invest even $130 in one, anyway. We'll see if 3.0 is better.
While I feel like I got my money's worth from the Samsung model, I don't like the planned obsolescence. I'm sure it will make someone's life easier not having to "support" them anymore, but aside from not spitting out 3G, I'm sure they could continue functioning fine for at least several more years if the infrastructure was simply maintained.