T-Mobile

[cklaszlo]

Looking at new plans with good internet rates. Trying to find one that will allow me to access multiple pop3 email on my cell phone but also will have conectivity for my Toshiba E755.

I've been calling around and just got off the phone with T-Mobile and they seem to have a plan of an extra $20/mo for unlimited bandwidth. WOW! This is by far the most aggressive plan for bandwidth I've found.

Does anyone have experience with T-Mobile both as a voice provider and then also with their internet?

Or have you found other plans that are just as aggressive for data from the other providers?

Thanks.

[preempt2]

I have used T-Mobile for over a year and have been satisfied with the service. Have used a Pocket PC Phone Edition, Danger Sidekick, a Visor Prism, and a SE P800. We live about 60 miles outside Houston where the signal is not as strong but our service has been exceptional on both voice and data. I recently changed to the $20 unlimited data and our bill has shown significant improvement.

The service representatives are very courteous and resolve problems or questions quickly. I like T-Mobile's products and their enthusiam for getting the best devices to the market.

[eustts]

I have been using T-mobile for the last 3-5 years. I have had not problems with their voice service. I have even roamed to several US states as well as Hawaii along with several European countries with it as well. It all worked flawlessly.

I have had the $20/month data plan for about 5 months now, and have been very satisfied with it as well. I had to attend a social funstion with my wife and completed my fantasy hoockey league via wireless during the function. It worked great.

:D

[cklaszlo]

Wow. I'm still in shock at the 20/plan. Do you know if it includes multiple pop3 email accounts and not just the standard carrier email that they set up?

How's the data speed?

[Thinkingmandavid]

You should probably go with them just because of price. No other carrier that i know of is giving unlimited usage for 20 bucks a month. So go ahead and enjoy the gprs!!!!!!!!!!!

[yvilla]

I just had voice with T-Mobile until they reduced their data price to the additional $20.00/unlimited deal. Been using the data plan since then and am very pleased. I got a CF GSM/GPRS card for my PPC connectivity, and thus also use it, with a PC card adapter, for getting online with my Tablet PC. I have been amazed with the speed with the Tablet; it seems only slightly slower with my PPC. Caveat: when I was using T-Mobile's so called "accelerator", the speed was terrible; there was a vast improvement when I shut the darned thing off! I'm now a very happy camper. :mrgreen:

[cklaszlo]

The CF GSM/GPRS card that's their wireless CF card? I was hoping to use my cell phone as the modem and not have to pay for another card.

[yvilla]

The CF GSM/GPRS card that's their wireless CF card? I was hoping to use my cell phone as the modem and not have to pay for another card.

I got the Convergent Tech card: http://www.convergentech.com/cfgsmgprs.htm (I bought it on ebay, thereby paying less than half the price!).

I tried very hard to find a direct phone-to-e750 cable, but without success (eg through Supply Net, Gomadic, etc). It seems that there is something different about the e750/755, because those places apparently do have cables that work with other PPCs, and even with the e740.

You could probably use your phone with a Socket digital phone card, however (also a CF-based solution), this being slightly more expensive than just a direct cable connection:
http://socketcom.com/product/dpc_card.asp
I didn't try that with my e750, though, because at the time they still had not updated their driver for compatibility with WM 2003. They may have by now.

Anyway, good luck with your "quest" (that's what it seemed like to me--buying and returning cables that didn't work twice, before finally going with the GSM/GPRS card)!

[Gator5000e]

The Converts web site says you need to use this Running Voice software if the PPC is WM2003. What does this software do?

Also, it says under requirements - "SIM card with GSM and GPRS". What does this mean, exactly? If you want it for data, do you have to pull the SIM card out of a phone and install it? I pay for a T-Mobile account for my parents but don't use T-Mobile myself. Was hoping to piggy-back the $20/month data plan on to the account I pay for, but I do not have access to the phone to get to the SIM card. AM I out of luck?

If anyone can explain this to me, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

[yvilla]

Well yeah, to be able to use the data plan you would need either the phone itself (with sim card in it), to connect up as a modem to your laptop or PPC, or the sim card from the phone, to put into a CF or PC card GSM/GPRS modem. The sim card is what actually connects you to the T-Mobile network.

Running Voice is software that basically provides the user interface for the convergent tech card. It allows you to receive and make voice calls with your PPC, either right from within your PIM contacts, or from its own dialer/speed dialer screens, to send and receive text messages, and to access the internet. It essentially makes your PPC look and act like a phone edition device, with the one major exception that you have to use a headset for voice calls, which is not as convenient. Works for me though, since my real purpose for getting the card was for data access, and not so much for voice calls. You can probably see some screenshots of Running Voice on Handango.

[Gator5000e]

Thanks, yvilla. I guess that means I am out of luck since I don't have access to the SIM card cause it's in my parents phone.

I use the Sprint 2031 CF Crad but the Sprint coverage in the Orlando/Daytona areas where I need it basically sucks and I find I am hardly able to connect at all sometimes. When I do get lucky, downloads are very slow. I certainly don't get the speeds that the Sprint ad above this reply box indicaes.

In contrast, T-Mobile has a very strong network in the Orlando/Daytona area and I was thinking of trying the CF card (I mainly use only for data with my Axim). Oh well, guess I will just have to find a Starbuck's when I need to check my mail.

Thanks again for your explanation.

[yvilla]

Or maybe you'll switch to T-Mobile when your Sprint contract is up. :lol:

[yvilla]

PS to cklaszlo: Of course, the other alternative is avoid the need for a cable connection altogether, using a bluetooth phone as your modem. I went with the card because I didn't have, or really want, a bluetooth phone.

[cklaszlo]

I think that is the route I'm going to take. Get a BT phone ( Sony Ericsson T610 ) and then a BT SD Card. I was looking at the SIM option but I'm scared that pulling it out all the time will cause a lot of wear on it and I don't want to get screwed if it gets damaged.

[cklaszlo]

FYI: Socket SDIO doesn't work on Toshiba E75x. Which bytes. And the crazy thing is is that the Socket SDIO SD card is built by Toshiba. Go figure that one out.