Putting the iPAQ GPRS sleeve through its paces

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://reviews.pocketnow.com/content.cgi?db=reviews&id=244">http://reviews.pocketnow.com/content.cgi?db=reviews&id=244</a><br /><br />Our friends over at <a href="http://www.pocketnow.com">Pocket Now</a> have acquired the new iPAQ GSM/GPRS Wireless Expansion Pack, postponed to release in the US until June 30, 2002, :-( and have posted an in depth review.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketnow.com/reviews/gsmgprsipaq/images/iPAQ/DSCN3125.jpg" /><br /><br />It uses its own dialer software, rather than the Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition OS, resulting in some differences like SMS messaging not being integrated into the Inbox. But if you already have an iPAQ and are looking to rid yourself of carrying two devices around, cell phone and PDA, this could be the ticket.

[JohnnyFlash]

(deleted)

[Ed Hansberry]

why, oh, why this postponement?
No clue. WIth most hardware it is usually a component issue, but with this, it could be carrier agreements throwing a wrench into the works. :-(

[Janak Parekh]

You can order it internationally and use it here. There's a long discussion on PocketPCPassion about using it effectively and working around the minor bugs it has.

--bdj

[Master O'Mayhem]

I wonder why the carrier name comes up with 160 instead of voicestream? its the same on mine.

[sweetpete]

The delay of the US launch is that US carriers are requiring a newer version of the GSM/GPRS stack be used. This stack has enhancements and improvements that tune it better to the 1900 mhz networks here.
Compaq is currently testing this new stack as well as others (Novatel and Sierra) and has delayed US release because of that reason only ... i.e. they were about to ship.
You can purchase one in Europe for now as the upgrade to the stack will be released in a firmware upgrade once it is ready.

[sweetpete]

I wonder why the carrier name comes up with 160 instead of voicestream? its the same on mine.


That is the carriers GSM Network Code ... 310-160. Once it is released in the US, it should have the appropriate name listed

[Kemas]

I think the carrier issue is the answer and more to the point, the lack of GSM in the United States. Add the price tag and the fact that GPRS in the states isn't really ready for prime time or real heavy usage; and I think you have the answer.

The only chance, and it is a slim one at best, that Pocket PC phones or sleeves have any kind of a chance in the states is via Sprint and Verizon. Both have millions of users and Sprint Nationwide packet network goes live at the end of June with Verizon going live Nationwide probably within 6 to 12 months of that. GSM is a few years away from having the market penetration in the states that CDMA already has. AT&T and SWB are going to GSM/GPRS but they have to replace every tower in the country. That is just going to take some serious time and they will have to do another major upgrade when they move to W-CDMA sometime in the next several years. They could have moved directly to W-CDMA but no one has yet and it was going to cost billions.

The GSM carriers are probably very risk adverse right now. AT&T, Voice Stream and SWB all chose the wrong techonology. Sprint wasn't better, just luckier. Qualcomm actually was able to come through on every single promise they made. Plus they have two countries already experiementing with technologies Sprint won't use for two more years.

In the end, Sprint and Verizon will be able to afford to play with new technologies like Pocket PC phones while the current and future GSM providers are going to have to take every step with care and a great deal of thought.

[Talldog]

You can order it internationally and use it here. There's a long discussion on PocketPCPassion about using it effectively and working around the minor bugs it has.

--bdj

The bugs in this thing are definitely NOT minor. I can't even make a phone call with any expectation that the call will not be dropped (with 4 bars of coverage, no less). I know I'm not the only person having that particular problem. Compaq in the U.S. flat-out refuses to support it. As someone who supports PDA's for a living for a very large corporation, I can't recommend it until Compaq works out the bugs.

[entropy1980]

kemas you left out Cingular! A very large GSM carrier here in the US!

[JohnnyFlash]

(deleted)

[Kemas]

Cingular (SWB) is going to GSM, but their primary network is still TDMA. I live in Texas and although they call themselves Cingular, they are still Southwestern Bell. Parts of what became cingular were already GSM, I believe that was PacBell, owned by SWB's parent company.


They are moving totally GSM but it will take them as long, and to be honest probably longer, than AT&T.

[eosd30]

When I bought my 3850 last year, I was really excited about the possibility of buying a GSM pack to go with it, and do all my SMSing from it (I'm from Manila, in the Philippines, and SMS is reeeeeallly big over here. It's insane how popular it is)

But the release date just kept getting pushed back, and back ... so eventually I went with a 3870/t68/BT headset combo ... and except for the annoying BT stack error, I must say ... it's heaven.

I've actually spent entire mornings surfing the net (GPRS is still free in Manila, it hasn't been officially launched so as of yet there's no pricing scheme in place), sending out emails and SMS messages, and making phone calls ... all without even having to know where in the room my phone is. :D

I can't say I agree with the assertion that an ipaq with the GSM sleeve is easier to manage than an ipaq/cellphone combo. BT works for me far better than I ever expected and I have no regrets about not waiting for the GSM pack!

[Talldog]

I can't say I agree with the assertion that an ipaq with the GSM sleeve is easier to manage than an ipaq/cellphone combo. BT works for me far better than I ever expected and I have no regrets about not waiting for the GSM pack!

After waiting since November while the damn thing got pushed back again and again, then ending up with a device that is clearly not ready for primetime, it would seem that you made the right decision.