GPRS - buy now or wait?

[darrylb]

Just wondering about GPRS for PPC. I have a iPAQ 3970.

Does anyone have the Compaq GPRS Jacket and have an opinion on it?

Has anyone compared the jacket to one of the CF GPRS cards - is the jacket worth the price?

Is there any news on the SIM card in the 5400 series and whether this will be in the 5500 units (rumoured to be around the corner) and if it will be usable there?

I would like to upgrade to one of these when they are available, if there will be no built in GPRS, having a jacket or comparible product would be useful now and in the future.

Thanks in advance...

[freitasm]

Unless you requirements specify one device only, why not get a Sony Ericsson T68i and use Bluetooth. You can keep the mobile in your pocket, and connect from your H3970 via Bluetooth. The jacket will increase the size of your H3970, and you'll need a SIM card for it. With the mobile the SIM card is still usable for voice and data calls, from the phone.

[darrylb]

Unless you requirements specify one device only, why not get a Sony Ericsson T68i and use Bluetooth. You can keep the mobile in your pocket, and connect from your H3970 via Bluetooth. The jacket will increase the size of your H3970, and you'll need a SIM card for it. With the mobile the SIM card is still usable for voice and data calls, from the phone.

Good Idea, but I dont want to have to carry around a second cell phone just for data. My current cellular provider is CDMA and is provided by work. Which means that if I want another phone, I have to pay for it myself (which may be cheaper than a data only solution). If I move to another provider I have to muck around splitting the bill up each month which I would rather not do.

At the end of the day, I might have to do as you suggest, but as I only want a data connection, taking on a(nother) phone is overkill.

Sorry, I probably should have noted the phone thingy in my original post.

[freitasm]

Good Idea, but I dont want to have to carry around a second cell phone just for data. My current cellular provider is CDMA and is provided by work. Which means that if I want another phone, I have to pay for it myself (which may be cheaper than a data only solution). If I move to another provider I have to muck around splitting the bill up each month which I would rather not do.


In this case you're using TNZ. I have to admit, apparently data rates for CDMA are better than GPRS. The problem is the cost. You'll not find CDMA options for PPC here in NZ, it's much easier on GSM/GPRS. And I personally think Vodafone NZ is great. I use a GPRS PC Card in my laptop and a Bluetooth mobile with my PPC.

And no, it's not because I've seen the Matrix courtesy of Voda, or because of the free mobile for my reviews at Geekzone 8)

[darrylb]

I think Vodafone is great too. I was with them for years prior to getting my current job (having switched from telescum years ago). The speed on GPRS is not as good, but the service is waaaay better and NZVoda have a habit of listening to customers and innovating.

I like the look of the GPRS CF cards available in the US, but I dont know whether it is worth getting one or holding off until after the new 5500 series is available.

<sigh> I'll probably resign myself to waiting.... cause no one knows what will be in the new 5500 series and I dont want to spend money now and get the functionality again in a couple of months time.... :roll:

[freitasm]

By the way, just got my hands on a Palm Tungsten W, delivered from Renaissance (Palm distributors in NZ and Australia), to try on their GPRS network! I'll post more on Geekzone this weekend...