03-01-2007, 10:04 PM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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T-Mobile To Users: No Third Party Apps For You
"Testing some T-Mobile phones recently, I once again ran into T-Mobile's annoying policy of banning third-party applications from accessing the Internet on their phones. Like so many infringements on our liberties, this started stealthily with a few devices but now covers their entire product line. This means T-Mobile feature phone users are prohibited from surfing the Web with Opera Mini, checking maps on Google Local for Mobile, listening to podcasts with Mobilcast, and using any other form of software not pre-approved by T-Mobile."
T-Mobile, in an attempt to make as much money as possible... err... to secure the user experience, has decided to not allow third-party Java Microapps on phones that otherwise would support them. While it's a stretch to see this extend to Pocket PC phones or MS Smartphones, it is not a good sign to see. The poster on GearLog mentions that T-Mobile seems to be violating their motto of "Get More" with this action, although I'd remind him that T-Mo's new motto is "Stick Together". Apparently those who stick together don't use software written by outsiders.
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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03-01-2007, 10:58 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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Man, this is bad...
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03-02-2007, 12:18 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4
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I'm not horrendously surprised honestly, and this is why we switched a couple of years ago from Tmobile to Cingular. My husband and I each had a Sidekick 2. We thought the design was great, the keyboard was cool...but it had this annoying limitation where it was almost impossible to get 3rd party apps on it. You had to get a developer key, then if you managed to get a 3rd party app on it, whenever Tmobile did an update, it would wipe any 3rd party apps from your phone...including prefs and such.
After being promised and promised that there'd be new, cool things in the Tmobile catalog for purchase, and only basically seeing 95% ringtones and games after 8 months, we broke our contract early, sold the Sidekick 2's, switched to Cingular and bought 2 HP 6500's.
Now we have unlocked versions of the 6945 from HP and couldn't be happier. Our whole Sidekick experience basically soured both of us on Tmobile.
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03-02-2007, 12:55 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 20
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I lost internet last week and had to enter proxy settings to get it going. During that time my Opera Mini would not connect. Everything is back on now I removed the proxy settings and it all works. We'll see what happens next.
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03-02-2007, 02:59 AM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,111
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I'm sure this is related:
jkOnTheRun-T-Mobile data plans suddenly stop working
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"A planner is a gentle man, with neither sword nor pistol.
He walks along most daintily, because his balls are crystal."
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03-02-2007, 05:48 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 621
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they are off their rockers if they think this will be good for business... :devilboy:
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03-02-2007, 06:11 AM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
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Fortunately, it's Java Midlets "only". Not a big deal UNLESS you want to use Opera Mini.
Furthermore, you can always load a new / unlocked version of Intent Midlet Manager on your phone. I've posted several articles to the Software forum here on how this needs to be dne; I think they will also work with otherwise locked Midlet Manager instances.
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03-02-2007, 03:05 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 740
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Not my problem. I never bought a phone through a Carrier, always bought unlocked phones. More expensive? Sure but I am free to do what I want, change provider if I travel abroad etc.
This business model to offer cheaper, locked phones is really pathetic.
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03-02-2007, 04:28 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 157
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So can someone clarify this for me: Is it only T-mobile devices that are affected by this? I have an unlocked Treo 650, a T-mobile MDA and an unlocked Nokia 6682 that I use on my T-mobile account with an unlimited internet account. Opera Mini is installed on my Nokia, and Opera mobile is installed on my MDA. Are they going to stop working?
I guess that I'll have to test everything out this afternoon...
TMann
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03-02-2007, 07:51 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 601
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That's enough to keep me away from T-mobile. Along with their poor network in our location.
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Linear Mode
