Question about data plans

[mar2k]

I have been using an SMT5600 for a little while now and I love it. I am mainly using it as a phone only with a few PIM apps and games loaded. I am currently with Cingular. The data plans look very pricey to me. I am confused about data rates and GPRS/EDGE versus SMS/MMS. . Can someone explain or give me a link to a primer on this subject?

Is GPRS/EDGE necessary just for web browsing or do you need that for email/IM/SMS/MMS? I am confused. You can buy packages that include X number of SMS/MMS messages per month but what does IM fall under, are these considered text messages or are you using data rates? Same for email. Can someone give me the lowdown on how this stuff is broken out so I can figure out what I need here?

THANKS!!!

[Mike Temporale]

Aside from text messages, all data is considered data. So Email, web, IM, etc is all data. I don't know how MMS works, but I would guess it's the same as text messages. :)

[Sven Johannsen]

GPRS/EDGE is necessary for web browsing, email, IM, assuming MSN Messenger. All that is covered by the data plan, which can be had for $20/mo unlimited. It's called MediaNet.

SMS/MMS are different animals. While technically they are data, they are charged by message whether text or picture/video. They make the carrier lots of money. They push SMS/MMS camera phones because of that.

You can effectively do SMS/MMS like stuff via e-mail, but the recipient needs to check their e-mail to receive. You can send an e-mail to someone's phone number and they get it as an SMS, but are charged the way their incoming SMS is billed.