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Hyperluminal
02-21-2004, 04:56 PM
I've been thinking about GPRS lately. Now, at this point I'm not really serious about getting it, but I would like to know my options.

I've been looking at the big wireless providers, and so far the best price (by far) for GPRS is T-Mobile, for $29.99 a month for unlimited service. First of all, am I missing something here? Everyone else charges like twice that, if not more for unlimited. This doesn't seem to piggyback on an existing T-Mobile service you have to already have (which I don't).. so is it just that much cheaper?

Now, if I got GPRS service I'd have to obviously get a mobile device compatible with GPRS. First of all, there aren't any CF GPRS cards or anything that'd work with my iPaq 2215, right? If not, I'd have to get a device capable of it. I could get an XDA for $400, but feature-wise it's a lot worse than my iPaq, and I don't want to carry two PPCs. The XDA II sounds pretty nice, but at like $800 I really can't get that. Think there's any chance T-Mobile will soon sell it with subscription for like the price of the current XDA?
If not, could I just get a GPRS capable cell phone and BT it to my PPC (and maybe even my notebook too)? If so, which ones would work? On T-Mobile's site, they said there were no cell phones compatible with their GPRS service...

One other option, is that I still have dial-up for the time being (yeah, I've still gotta call Verizon and see if they'll give us DSL 400' past the "limit"...). I've seen cell phones with modems. Could I just dial up to my ISP on a cell, and then BT it? While we might (hopefully) get broadband soon, I could even get a cheap dial-up service then too. Like one of those $5.99 a month services, or something. Anyway, if I did dial up with my cell phone, would (or could) that be consideribly less than GPRS?

Thanks :)

Janak Parekh
02-21-2004, 07:29 PM
I've been looking at the big wireless providers, and so far the best price (by far) for GPRS is T-Mobile, for $29.99 a month for unlimited service. First of all, am I missing something here? Everyone else charges like twice that, if not more for unlimited. This doesn't seem to piggyback on an existing T-Mobile service you have to already have (which I don't).. so is it just that much cheaper?
Yes, it is cheaper than everyone else. It's even cheaper if you have a voice plan -- it's $19.99.

Now, if I got GPRS service I'd have to obviously get a mobile device compatible with GPRS. First of all, there aren't any CF GPRS cards or anything that'd work with my iPaq 2215, right?
There are, but they're not directly available from T-Mobile. Do a couple of searches -- I think Audiovox sells one, but I don't remember.

If not, could I just get a GPRS capable cell phone and BT it to my PPC (and maybe even my notebook too)? If so, which ones would work?
Any BT-capable phone.

On T-Mobile's site, they said there were no cell phones compatible with their GPRS service...
:confused totally: The SE T610 and Nokia 3650 both support BT and GPRS, no problems whatsoever; and they're both on T-Mo's site.

Could I just dial up to my ISP on a cell, and then BT it?
With most, but not all, providers. That said, I strongly recommend against this. Dial-up speeds are between 9600bps (GSM) and 14.4kbps (CDMA) at best. And you'd use minutes up from your plan anyway, so it's not cheaper.

--janak

Hyperluminal
02-21-2004, 08:08 PM
Thanks Janak.
About compatible phones, when I select the GPRS plan at T-Mobile's site, they want you to build your package, and it looks like you have to buy a handheld or PC Card. First of all, do you actually have to buy one?
Second of all, when you select Phones for the package, it says there are no phones compatible with the service...

Janak Parekh
02-21-2004, 08:09 PM
About compatible phones, when I select the GPRS plan at T-Mobile's site, they want you to build your package, and it looks like you have to buy a handheld or PC Card. First of all, do you actually have to buy one?
Ah, I see the problem. Sounds like T-Mobile doesn't sell phones with GPRS-only packages, at least through their website. You might want to try calling them up or try shopping T-Mobile through Amazon, but you might be required to pick a voice plan to get a phone...?

--janak

Hyperluminal
02-21-2004, 08:32 PM
Hmm, looks like you can't get the GPRS plan from Amazon. I don't plan on buying a voice plan from T-Mobile, though.
Do you think I could just buy the GPRS service without any hardware, then just buy a phone or CF GPRS card seperately?

Maybe I should try calling them later...

Hmm, could I just buy the plan with like a Sierra Aircard, then sell it on eBay? I don't know if I'd want to though, sounds kinda iffy...

Janak Parekh
02-21-2004, 08:53 PM
Do you think I could just buy the GPRS service without any hardware, then just buy a phone or CF GPRS card seperately?
Very possible (i.e., just buy a SIM card), but the problem with this is that you won't get the discounted (subsidized) cost of the phone that comes with a contract.

--janak

Hyperluminal
02-22-2004, 12:30 AM
Well, I just found a place (http://store.yahoo.com/cbstelecom/soert6t.html) (with almost no looking, so there are probably more out there) that's selling a t610 with service, for $200 plus a $100 mail-in rebate.
That's not bad... :)

Sven Johannsen
02-22-2004, 04:56 AM
That's what I paid for my T610 with T-Mobile, with service. Actually switched from ATT because of their lack of reasonableness (is that a word?) on their data plan.

andbrown
02-25-2004, 03:19 AM
I got the $29.99 data plan by first signing up for a $19.99 voice plan (and getting a crap phone free) and then called T-Mobile and got them to change it to the $29.99 plan, since I already had a T68i BT phone. I assume you can also do this with other voice plans and get a better phone, but I'd advise checking w/T-Mobile first.

Janak Parekh
02-25-2004, 04:40 AM
I got the $29.99 data plan by first signing up for a $19.99 voice plan (and getting a crap phone free) and then called T-Mobile and got them to change it to the $29.99 plan, since I already had a T68i BT phone. I assume you can also do this with other voice plans and get a better phone, but I'd advise checking w/T-Mobile first.
Ah, I suspected as much. :) Hyperluminal, you might also want to see if you can score a deal like this through Amazon, since you'd get the aggressive discounts...

--janak

Hyperluminal
02-25-2004, 06:24 AM
I got the $29.99 data plan by first signing up for a $19.99 voice plan (and getting a crap phone free) and then called T-Mobile and got them to change it to the $29.99 plan, since I already had a T68i BT phone. I assume you can also do this with other voice plans and get a better phone, but I'd advise checking w/T-Mobile first.
Ah, I suspected as much. :) Hyperluminal, you might also want to see if you can score a deal like this through Amazon, since you'd get the aggressive discounts...

--janak
Hmm, that's interesting. I just looked at Amazon, and since I wouldn't be getting a plan over $40/month (where they give you $100 back), it'd be like $50 for the phone, which is half what it costs at that other place (and I'd rather buy from Amazon, since the other place is just a Yahoo store).

I will check that out. Thanks. :)