Engadget How-To: Using Your Pocket PC as a WiFi Phone

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/entry/6437880577833191/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/entry/6437880577833191/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"This week’s How-To is a handy one for the folks out there who use the Vonage Voice Over IP (VOIP) service and happen to have a Pocket PC device with WiFi. We’re going to show you how to turn just about any Pocket PC PDA device in to a real telephone with a working telephone number. At the end of this, we’re also going to post our phone number so you can test it out (it might be a long distance call for you)."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040904_callpt.jpg" /> <br /><br />Engadget How-To Guy Phillip Torrone (aka phillip torrone, aka pt) has written a guide for using your Pocket PC as a WiFi phone using the Vonage VoIP service and the SJphone software. At the end of the article, he also gives out his SoftPhone number and mentions something about hot gadget action, if that kind of thing happens to turn your crank. 8O

[OSUKid7]

Awesome. Looks like it'll be a good read. I'm currently in the process of convincing my parents to get Vonage. It'll save them money, and I'll love all the features. :lol:

[delfuhd]

This looks wonderful, a good way around crappy phone companies


But what about Microsoft Portrait? It's free, and you can use essentially do the same thing without the necessity of plans, right?

[OSUKid7]

But what about Microsoft Portrait? It's free, and you can use essentially do the same thing without the necessity of plans, right?Can MS Portrait connect to the PSTN?

[mvv_hyd]

Vonage beats all other VoIPs into the dust...... I'm about to get an account with vonage........ and you can use your pocket pc like a cell phone where ever you have wifi access.... ain't it great??

[OSUKid7]

The only thing that scares me about Vonage is the statement A SoftPhone account (http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=softphone) is $10 extra per month and includes unlimited calling in the USA.
Does that mean you can't use a SoftPhone without paying that extra $10/month? Or can you still use your primary number via SoftPhone?

[spontaneous]

Does anyone know if SJPhone awakes the PDA if someone calls? What I trying to do is to use vonage at home and when I leave the house, and am in the wifi area, I want to be able to receive a call even when my pda is off. Am I asking too much?
Thanks.

Daniel.

[OSUKid7]

Does anyone know if SJPhone awakes the PDA if someone calls? What I trying to do is to use vonage at home and when I leave the house, and am in the wifi area, I want to be able to receive a call even when my pda is off. Am I asking too much?Yeah, you probably are asking too much. I don't know for sure, but very few programs can wake your PDA. Now if you just turn of the screen, it would probably work, although it wouldn't be great for battery life.

[SteveHoward999]

Does anyone know if SJPhone awakes the PDA if someone calls? What I trying to do is to use vonage at home and when I leave the house, and am in the wifi area, I want to be able to receive a call even when my pda is off. Am I asking too much?
Thanks.

Daniel.


If your PDA is off, so is your Wi-Fi receiver. So no calls when the PDA is not switched on and not connected to a Wi-Fi network.


Steve

[tzirbel]

Ok, I've had my Vonage account for exactly one month now. It is totally awesome. A Verizon account with the same features cost me $63.00 a month. The 500 minute Plan with Vonage (We don't use the phone much) after taxes and crap came to $16.93. Now to talk via pocket pc via my Ipaq 4150 at my local coffee house/second home will be very cool. Now I can out geek that smug little smartphone user that has been annoying me. ;-)

[Vidge]

**DUMB QUESTION ALERT**
I read thru that posting but I'm unclear about how to use this with no headset. Didn't I read somewhere that the hp41XX couldn't use the registry hack for BT headsets? So how can a headset be attached to allow the hp41XX series make voice calls?

[OSUKid7]

**DUMB QUESTION ALERT**
I read thru that posting but I'm unclear about how to use this with no headset. Didn't I read somewhere that the hp41XX couldn't use the registry hack for BT headsets? So how can a headset be attached to allow the hp41XX series make voice calls?You don't use a headset, you use the internal microphone. That's why it's not great quality (better on the h6300).

[mvv_hyd]

Ok, I've had my Vonage account for exactly one month now. It is totally awesome. A Verizon account with the same features cost me $63.00 a month. The 500 minute Plan with Vonage (We don't use the phone much) after taxes and crap came to $16.93. Now to talk via pocket pc via my Ipaq 4150 at my local coffee house/second home will be very cool. Now I can out geek that smug little smartphone user that has been annoying me. ;-)

I've a question...... are the incoming calls also count toward your account like a cell phone?...... this is one of the important factors for me and I don't see anywhere on Vonage website mentioning about this....

And yeah, Vonage beats all other VoIPs hands down..... it is the leader right now......

[Vidge]

**DUMB QUESTION ALERT**
I read thru that posting but I'm unclear about how to use this with no headset. Didn't I read somewhere that the hp41XX couldn't use the registry hack for BT headsets? So how can a headset be attached to allow the hp41XX series make voice calls?You don't use a headset, you use the internal microphone. That's why it's not great quality (better on the h6300).

The internal microphone? Along with the internal speaker, right? (In order to hear the call.)

Guess this isn't for me :( No privacy.

[OSUKid7]

**DUMB QUESTION ALERT**
I read thru that posting but I'm unclear about how to use this with no headset. Didn't I read somewhere that the hp41XX couldn't use the registry hack for BT headsets? So how can a headset be attached to allow the hp41XX series make voice calls?You don't use a headset, you use the internal microphone. That's why it's not great quality (better on the h6300).

The internal microphone? Along with the internal speaker, right? (In order to hear the call.)

Guess this isn't for me :( No privacy.If you have some earphones you can use them. That's as much privacy as you get with a cell phone. :|

[Zack Mahdavi]

Wow, this is one of the coolest how-to's I've read in a while. :)

I wonder how long it will take for VoIP to become ubiquitous like cell phones and (soon to be) broadband. I read an article recently where the AT&T CEO said they would not lose the VoIP market like how they lost the cellular market.

[dhpss]

Check out www.stanaphone.com, benefits:
1-No contract commitment, just deposit $$ by Paypal, and use as you go
2-Great to get a feel how VoIP works without commitment..
3-The PPC download will automatically configure you PPC client (same client as Vonage), nothing to setup...
4-Get a real phone number immediately (no, you can not select your area code)
5-Incoming calls are free, outgoing call to another Stanaphone is free, outgoing call to anywhere in the USA, Canada cost .02. outgoing calls to 800 are free... Oversea outgoing call cost varies (e.g to France .02/mn)
6-No softphone required, works on laptop, other people laptop, PocketPC, etc...

[Vidge]

**DUMB QUESTION ALERT**
I read thru that posting but I'm unclear about how to use this with no headset. Didn't I read somewhere that the hp41XX couldn't use the registry hack for BT headsets? So how can a headset be attached to allow the hp41XX series make voice calls?You don't use a headset, you use the internal microphone. That's why it's not great quality (better on the h6300).

The internal microphone? Along with the internal speaker, right? (In order to hear the call.)

Guess this isn't for me :( No privacy.If you have some earphones you can use them. That's as much privacy as you get with a cell phone. :|

Ah - so you can use the earphones. Thanks! This may be worth looking into after all.

[squiggs1982]

Nothing like this for the UK? :( And sorry to ask a stupid question, but why can't the 4150 use the bluetooth registry hack for headsets? Can anybody point me to a thread? :)

[tzirbel]

Ok, I've had my Vonage account for exactly one month now. It is totally awesome. A Verizon account with the same features cost me $63.00 a month. The 500 minute Plan with Vonage (We don't use the phone much) after taxes and crap came to $16.93. Now to talk via pocket pc via my Ipaq 4150 at my local coffee house/second home will be very cool. Now I can out geek that smug little smartphone user that has been annoying me. ;-)

I've a question...... are the incoming calls also count toward your account like a cell phone?...... this is one of the important factors for me and I don't see anywhere on Vonage website mentioning about this....

And yeah, Vonage beats all other VoIPs hands down..... it is the leader right now......

Only outgoing calls are charged to your account with vonage. Incomming and 800 numbers are not. 411 calls are 0.99 plus tax.

[mvv_hyd]

Ok, I've had my Vonage account for exactly one month now. It is totally awesome. A Verizon account with the same features cost me $63.00 a month. The 500 minute Plan with Vonage (We don't use the phone much) after taxes and crap came to $16.93. Now to talk via pocket pc via my Ipaq 4150 at my local coffee house/second home will be very cool. Now I can out geek that smug little smartphone user that has been annoying me. ;-)

I've a question...... are the incoming calls also count toward your account like a cell phone?...... this is one of the important factors for me and I don't see anywhere on Vonage website mentioning about this....

And yeah, Vonage beats all other VoIPs hands down..... it is the leader right now......

Only outgoing calls are charged to your account with vonage. Incomming and 800 numbers are not. 411 calls are 0.99 plus tax.

This explains not even to consider any other VoIPs.... vonage.... I'm coming :lol: