Why Connection Cards & PDA's are faster than Phones

[dreampages]

This is a public service announcemet from Dream Pages! :D

We get an extremely high number of call and emails asking about the data speeds for the new Sprint Vision phones, PDAs, and Data Connection Cards (modem). We are constantly being asked which is the fastest way to connect a Pocket PC or laptop to the internet. Sprint currently has the most coverage in the US and fastest speeds (up to 144kbps).

The following link will take you to a presentation which will explain why the data speeds with the Connection Cards & PDA's are much faster than the phones due to the Bandwidth Optimizer servers. These slides came from training presentations on 3G Vision. The Connection Cards and PDAs use the Bandwidth Optimizer to considerably speed up data transmissions. The phones do not use this.

http://www.sprintpcsrocks.com/sprintpcsrocks/training/

Larry

[disconnected]

This pretty much sucks.

Instead of wasting so much time trying to force people into buying what they have obviously decided are the most profitable options for Sprint, they should spend more time figuring out what customers actually want, at a price that makes sense for both Sprint and the customers.

If I could have a bluetooth phone, and a 'bandwidth optimizer' ala bluekite, I'd be perfectly willing to pay a reasonable amount for service, and I'm surely not alone in this. I assume there is no technical reason that this is not possible, since bluekite worked perfectly well in this way. I have an iPAQ 3975, and prefer to not have to have a bulky sleeve on it all the time (even the Yiso requires a large battery in addition to the CF sleeve, and the other cards require the even bigger PC card sleeve).

Right now, I'm using the LG-5350 and a cable, not to try to cheat Sprint out of a few dollars a month for the limited amount of browsing I do on the iPAQ, but mainly because of the size. They probably won't kick me off the system for my few minutes of browsing, and they are losing the opportunity to sell me a more expensive bluetooth phone, and sign me up for another twenty or thirty dollars a month for data service. Seems pretty short-sighted to me.

[Janak Parekh]

If I could have a bluetooth phone, and a 'bandwidth optimizer' ala bluekite, I'd be perfectly willing to pay a reasonable amount for service, and I'm surely not alone in this. I assume there is no technical reason that this is not possible, since bluekite worked perfectly well in this way.
Not only that, T-Mobile, right now, has Bluetooth phones and supports using their web compression proxy through the Bluetooth-GPRS connection on the iPaq. It's still slow IMHO, but makes the performance a bit more tolerable.

I don't like Sprint's assertion that phones and laptops/PDAs don't go together... why did they decide this?

--janak

[Stik]

A little off the topic, but I did find this article interesting. :twisted:

' The problem for Sprint, and the loophole for customers, is that it's possible to use a Sprint phone as a laptop modem with a simple software download and a cable connection from the phone to the computer. Thus it's possible to get access meant to cost $100 per month for free, simply by buying an entire phone plan that costs as little as $30.

Earlier this year, Sprint pulled connection cables from its site. Customers who order service and say they want a laptop connection are told they need to buy a PC Card modem and the "PCS Vision Plans for Laptops and PDAs" plan. '
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,796278,00.asp

[trog]

I agree that the options should be greater. I use a Motorola 720 phone with my Jornada 568 and get great speeds. Verizon Wireless optimizes their cellphones to be used as a moden in their Express Network ( same as Sprint's VISON) enviroment. They also offer PCMCIA cards for laptops and PDA's. You can either buy "data" bytes or use minutes from you cell plan.

[daS]

The following link will take you to a presentation which will explain why the data speeds with the Connection Cards & PDA's are much faster than the phones due to the Bandwidth Optimizer servers. These slides came from training presentations on 3G Vision. The Connection Cards and PDAs use the Bandwidth Optimizer to considerably speed up data transmissions. The phones do not use this.

http://www.sprintpcsrocks.com/sprintpcsrocks/training/

Larry

:rofl: I’m sorry, but this is ridiculous!

There’s nothing in that presentation that explains why the Bandwidth Optimizer can’t be used with a Bluetooth enabled phone and Pocket PC.

Of course the answer to “Why Connection Cards & PDA's are faster than Phones” is because Sprint doesn’t offer phones that can connect to PDA’s!

I also got a laugh at the coverage statement. I have yet to see an independent source give Sprint high marks. Usually Verizon get the highest ratings (along with the highest prices).

Still, I would love to get Sprint’s 1xRTT service if only they would have a phone like the T68i. :lol: