Justin, Heintz,
>>Maybe Heinz or someone will weigh in and
>>explain what we would need to do to use
>>that kind of service (Anytime/Anywhere
>>Cellular Service) to hook into the net
>>on the road.
>>Justin
Justin - very simple:
My last email tried to cover just that. All you need for the new SprintPCS
Digital Anytime/Anywhere services is a $100 cable period.
That's It. Nothing complex here. You do NOT even need a modem in your
Laptop/Notebook! The phone does it all. And the phone does not conflict with
my internal modem either. So if I can find a landline - I can do that too!
Justin - I too have tried for months to get my wife to use the extra minutes
on the cell for LD - No avail - Can't teach an ......
Free Lunch:
Heinz - Sometimes there is free lunch - at least for some of us. You just
have to find the right place to eat!
Here goes:
I get 500 minutes for $50. But in over two years I have NEVER used all of
them - I consistantly use 300 to 350 minutes leaving 150 - 200 minutes on
the table each month. (Me thinks the phone companies have figured us out!)
The next lowest service is 200 minutes for $30/mo. But there my 300 minutes
go over by 100 minutes at $0.30/min. So 100min x $0.30 is $30 plus $30
equals $60 (and 350 min is $75). The $50 plan is cheaper for me. So
downsizing does not save any.
The Free Lunch Part
I can now use the extra 150-200 minutes for my email retrieval or browsing
the net. All I am doing is wasting less, but getting emails and browsing on
the road costs me no more that my current cell bill alone. I estimate that
the amount I travel, I will use less than 50-100 extra minutes. Plus my
phone counts my minutes each month so I can easily monitor.
AND...
NO long distance, NO roaming -
At least it's FREE to me - may not work for everyone.
Heinz - You might save the GOAmerica $69/mo (by the way - they are now
advertising $59/mo - might at least save $10 - a free lunch?? ) When I
shopped GOAmerica a few months ago their coverage was dismal in the areas I
traveled (KY, AL, GA, TN, FL). With SprintPCS, MY coverage is at least 10
times broader nationwide, equipment is much cheaper and no monthly service
fees over my existing cell.
BUT...
Each area of the country is different - it greatly depends where you live
and where you travel. Sprint is definately stronger in the east than it is
out west. AT&T may be a better choice out west.
Changing Services:
Please - I am NOT recommending SprintPCS, it just works great for me BASED
on where I travel. Each service has its pros and cons. However! IF you
travel in and through populated areas Digital can be cheaper and better than
Analog. If you already have digital - call your provider - and be persistent
as it is a NEW feature. I went to my local SprintPCS store and got
everything in about 10 minutes.
AT&T seems to currently have the broadest covereage, but costs are higher.
In Florida - SprintPCS owns the state (No AT&T Digital in Naples!) and rates
are cheapest I could find from a major supplier.
PHONES:
Not all Digital Phones will work for "modem" usage no matter what service
you get or have, you will have to call your cell service provider. I had the
Qualcom 2700 phone, and all Sprint did was re-program it (for free). It is
what they call a DUAL-MODE phone (Digital & Analog). And Sprint also
supports some Sony, some Samsung and some Nokia Phones. You will have to
call. When I got Sprint, my phone was $50 or so with 2 years service.
If I can answer any question - email me - maybe I'll retrieve it on MY
Cell-Notebook Connection!!!!
GPS!
I also use a GPS system with my notebook. It uses Street Atlas software. If
I hook my Cell to my notebook, I can get instant real-time weather and road
construction updates via the internet while traveling. It's all at Delorme's
Web Site.
http://www.delorme.com
SprintPCS has a website too
http://www.sprintpcs.com
Bad news here is the coverage maps are about a
year behind. At least in Florida. Almost all of
Central Fla is now under coverage. But it is a start.
Hope that helps someone...
Mike F
Winterized AND Wireless
and Enjoying MY Free-Lunch
in...
Naples, FL
>>Maybe Heinz or someone will weigh in and
>>explain what we would need to do to use
>>that kind of service (Anytime/Anywhere
>>Cellular Service) to hook into the net
>>on the road.
>>Justin
Justin - very simple:
My last email tried to cover just that. All you need for the new SprintPCS
Digital Anytime/Anywhere services is a $100 cable period.
That's It. Nothing complex here. You do NOT even need a modem in your
Laptop/Notebook! The phone does it all. And the phone does not conflict with
my internal modem either. So if I can find a landline - I can do that too!
Justin - I too have tried for months to get my wife to use the extra minutes
on the cell for LD - No avail - Can't teach an ......
Free Lunch:
Heinz - Sometimes there is free lunch - at least for some of us. You just
have to find the right place to eat!
Here goes:
I get 500 minutes for $50. But in over two years I have NEVER used all of
them - I consistantly use 300 to 350 minutes leaving 150 - 200 minutes on
the table each month. (Me thinks the phone companies have figured us out!)
The next lowest service is 200 minutes for $30/mo. But there my 300 minutes
go over by 100 minutes at $0.30/min. So 100min x $0.30 is $30 plus $30
equals $60 (and 350 min is $75). The $50 plan is cheaper for me. So
downsizing does not save any.
The Free Lunch Part
I can now use the extra 150-200 minutes for my email retrieval or browsing
the net. All I am doing is wasting less, but getting emails and browsing on
the road costs me no more that my current cell bill alone. I estimate that
the amount I travel, I will use less than 50-100 extra minutes. Plus my
phone counts my minutes each month so I can easily monitor.
AND...
NO long distance, NO roaming -
At least it's FREE to me - may not work for everyone.
Heinz - You might save the GOAmerica $69/mo (by the way - they are now
advertising $59/mo - might at least save $10 - a free lunch?? ) When I
shopped GOAmerica a few months ago their coverage was dismal in the areas I
traveled (KY, AL, GA, TN, FL). With SprintPCS, MY coverage is at least 10
times broader nationwide, equipment is much cheaper and no monthly service
fees over my existing cell.
BUT...
Each area of the country is different - it greatly depends where you live
and where you travel. Sprint is definately stronger in the east than it is
out west. AT&T may be a better choice out west.
Changing Services:
Please - I am NOT recommending SprintPCS, it just works great for me BASED
on where I travel. Each service has its pros and cons. However! IF you
travel in and through populated areas Digital can be cheaper and better than
Analog. If you already have digital - call your provider - and be persistent
as it is a NEW feature. I went to my local SprintPCS store and got
everything in about 10 minutes.
AT&T seems to currently have the broadest covereage, but costs are higher.
In Florida - SprintPCS owns the state (No AT&T Digital in Naples!) and rates
are cheapest I could find from a major supplier.
PHONES:
Not all Digital Phones will work for "modem" usage no matter what service
you get or have, you will have to call your cell service provider. I had the
Qualcom 2700 phone, and all Sprint did was re-program it (for free). It is
what they call a DUAL-MODE phone (Digital & Analog). And Sprint also
supports some Sony, some Samsung and some Nokia Phones. You will have to
call. When I got Sprint, my phone was $50 or so with 2 years service.
If I can answer any question - email me - maybe I'll retrieve it on MY
Cell-Notebook Connection!!!!
GPS!
I also use a GPS system with my notebook. It uses Street Atlas software. If
I hook my Cell to my notebook, I can get instant real-time weather and road
construction updates via the internet while traveling. It's all at Delorme's
Web Site.
http://www.delorme.com
SprintPCS has a website too
http://www.sprintpcs.com
Bad news here is the coverage maps are about a
year behind. At least in Florida. Almost all of
Central Fla is now under coverage. But it is a start.
Hope that helps someone...
Mike F
Winterized AND Wireless
and Enjoying MY Free-Lunch
in...
Naples, FL
