Thera coming soon to Verizon

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/thera/popup.html">http://www.verizonwireless.com/thera/popup.html</a><br /><br />Wouldn't you love to blast across the 'Net on a wireless device at 144 kbps? Sure you would. If you're a Verizon customer, you may soon get that chance. They've listed the Thera as "coming soon". It looks like Toshiba is OEMing their design to carriers - this looks exactly like a Genio with added buttons for the phone (lower left).<br /><br /><img src="http://www.verizonwireless.com/images/homepage/thera/thera.gif" /><br /><img src="http://www.verizonwireless.com/images/homepage/thera/thera_specs.gif" /><br /><br />"Whether at a hotel, the airport, or somewhere in between, your Thera Pocket PC2002 will give you access to the Internet over Verizon Wireless' digital network. Sending and receiving emails will be at your fingertips. Phone functions are performed in the Watcher program allowing you to call numbers from your phone book, view call logs, and listen to voice mail messages."<br /><br />Thanks to William Kapes for the information!

[jeffmckean]

The Thera device also has the Audiovox brand name. I think Sprint gets it also, but only after Verizon's had an exclusive for a little while. Sprint is supposed to turn on their 1xRTT network sometime in the summer.

[jeffmckean]

But the only problem with 1xRTT is that while it's theoretical limit is 144kbps, the actual experience is more like between 30-60kbps. It's a little faster than GPRS but like GPRS, has the problem where the theoretical maximum can't be delivered in the real world. :-(

[brntcrsp]

From what I understand, jeff is right on the money. Most networks offering "3G" like Verizon are actually operating closer to "2.5G" or "2.75G." Great little article that describes it found here:

http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/April2002/3147.htm

[Jason Lee]

I think the world needs more CDMA PPCs. Ones that will also roam to analog networks. That is the reason I switched from Nextel to Sprint. Living in Missouri, there are alot of places that you need to roam to analog. What good is a cell phone in an emergency if it only works in 12% of the area you use it.

[charlie]

From what I understand, jeff is right on the money.


how much money? what is this thing supposed to cost? I hate verizon, but it might be worth it.

charlie

[Will T Smith]

nm

[Dave Conger]

But the only problem with 1xRTT is that while it's theoretical limit is 144kbps, the actual experience is more like between 30-60kbps. It's a little faster than GPRS but like GPRS, has the problem where the theoretical maximum can't be delivered in the real world. :-(


On a related note to this post, it is interesting to see that though the network has a burst of 144, the Thera only supports 40 to 60 kilobits per second.

When used on Verizon Wireless' new Express Network, Thera will provide mobile data transmission speeds of 40 to 60 kilobits per second, supporting high-speed wireless connectivity
That appears on this page from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/MSCorp/presspass/Press/2002/Mar02/03-18AudiovoxVerizonPR.asp

[Newsboy]

But the only problem with 1xRTT is that while it's theoretical limit is 144kbps, the actual experience is more like between 30-60kbps. It's a little faster than GPRS but like GPRS, has the problem where the theoretical maximum can't be delivered in the real world. :-(


The Verizon commerical on the radio states that their network will only be capable of 40-60 kpbs and 144 kbps bursts, but I don't believe this is related to the Thera, rather a limitation of the network. You're likely going to have the same bandwidth problems you have on any other shared access port. More users: slower access.

Thanks, but I'll stick with my 20 kpbs Sprint Wireless Web connection that I have NOW, and not hold my breath waiting for 2.5G (nevermind 3G) to roll-out. I've had this for a year now, with the only special equipment being the cable between my EM-500 and Timeport. With Bluekite, actual speeds are more comparable to 36 kpbs on a hard line.

Seems like as usual, there are alot of people who *talk* about what they *could* do *if* they had X device on Y network with Z connectivity standards...then there are those like myself who do the hard work, and do all of the above with what we have NOW. And actual USE it, not just talk about it.

Not that I'm putting anyone down on the board, don't get me wrong! Jason Dunn is an IDOL!!! (kidding Jason!) :P

[Duncan]

Jason Lee said:

the world needs more CDMA PPCs. Ones that will also roam to analog networks.

The problem is, Jason, no-one is going to produce what you want! CDMA networks are only a fraction of the worldwide mobile market and analogue networks have been switched off completely for 2 or 3 years at least for most of the mobile world. Which handset maufacturer is going to invest in CDMA that doesn't already have a stake in it? And who is going to want to create a PDA that uses 1G (analogue) mobile tech (if it is even possible) when everyone else is selling 2.5G and developing 3G? I'm afraid that you will have to wait for your area networks to catch up and go digital before you will get a Wireless PDA you can fully use...

[Newsboy]

Here's a page about Sprint PCS's rolling demo of their coming 3G network, housed in a tractor trailer. There's a schedule of where and when it will appear at the bottom of the page, as well as various links to pages about Sprint's scheduled 3G rollout.

http://www.sprintpcs.com/aboutsprintpcs/Cdma_3g/index.html#MMV

I have to admit that I'm partial to Sprint PCS, I've had it for six years now, through five generations of phone hardware. The nice part is being able to have the same cell phone number for the past six years, I'll admit that alone is probably enough to keep me as a Sprint customer. But if you're a Verizon customer and happy, stick with it. Though I have heard horror stories from close friends about losing/breaking phones, and paying Verizon's jacked up rates for replacement phones, $400 for a Timeport! Sprint charges $100! New or replacement!

I'm sitting here laughing to myself, thinking of what I've done in past years. In 1997, I covered the Interbike bicycle trade show in California, with nothing more than Compaq C-140 Handheld w/ WinCE 1.0, a Samsung SCH-1000 PCS phone, and a Casio QV-11 digital camera. Published everything to the web in nearly real-time. The funniest part was during carry-on inspection at the airport, they made me turn everything on, and kept me there for several minutes while I *proved* to them that yes, this really IS a palmtop computer. And yes, this is a DIGITAL camera, see the fancy real-time LCD display??? The guy in the seat next to me back to New York was trying to figure out why I was plugging this brick with an Indiglo screen into the Airphone on the plane.

Aaaaaaah, the good old days. You guys have no idea how easy you've got it. Color palm device at 400 mhz w/ a PCS phone built in? Never thought I'd see it.

One last piece of food for thought: I'm just 25. :D

[Andrew Duffy]

Doesn't the Toshiba already have the worst battery life of all the current crop of PPCs? Adding a digital phone to that will surely make it worse. Any figures on battery performance for this?