Instant messaging on the O2 or any other PPC with Phone

[koppee1]

ANyone tried it? I'm curious regarding certain matters:
1. Can you receive messages when the phone is "off". (i can receive calls when the phone is "off" or at least seems to be)

2. Is there a software that lets you connect to the yahoo messenger network? I know yahoo upgraded their messenger lately and when i visited the messenger.yahoo.com, the ppc os is not listed.

[Shaun Stuart]

messenger works great but your device needs an active internet connection . The wi-fi on my imate switches off when i turn the device off and this automatically logs me out of messenger so i cant receive messages with the device off. The same happens with a dial up connection. There may be a way to work around this using gprs. I do not have a gprs sim card but i understand gprs will stay on even if the device is off - its possible that messenger will remain on.

[155]

Verichat will let you stay logged in and forward im's to you via sms, but it's buggy and they need to update it.

[koppee1]

i was thinking about gprs. that's the only way i can access the net actually...you mean with gprs it doesn't really function the same way as in the pc?

[Shaun Stuart]

There are 4 ways to connect to your messenger service using a pocket pc phone.

1. dial up

This is the same as a dial up connection on a pc - your ppc uses your mobile phone line to dial in and connect to the internet. The disadvantages of using dial up on a mobile line is that it is extremely slow (at least 3 times slower than dial up on a pc), it can be expensive as you will be charged at a normal mobile phone rate and you will lose connection if you turn the device off.

2. GPRS Connection

GPRS was introduced as a "high speed" always on connection for mobile devices. I suppose this could be compared with broadband on a pc. The advantages of gprs are fairly obvious; increased speed over mobile dial up and always on.

3. Connection via your pc.

You can connect to the internet via you pc as long as you have an activsync connection. So - This works if you place your ppc in its cradle or if you connect to your pc using bluetooth. I believe connections will be lost in both scenarios if you turn your ppc off.

4. Wi-Fi (802.11b)

If you have a ppc phone with wi-fi (either built in or as an addon) you will be able to connect to any available wi-fi connection. I am writing this using my imate phone (pda2k) which is connected to my home broadband modem over wi-fi. If i turn the phone off i will lose the internet connection.

So - out of the above options the only one that i believe will provide you a live connection although the phone is off (or appears off) is GPRS. Most network providers (in the uk) use GPRS it is relatively cheap and if you buy your ppc phone with a connection contract gprs will probably be set up already.

hope this helps.

[Shaun Stuart]

I should add that although I suggest GPRS on a mobile could be compared with broadband on a PC I refer to the concept and not the speeds (which are vastly different).

normal dial up on mobile phone is about 9k
normal dial up on a pc is about 56k

GPRS on a mobile phone is around 56k +
broadband on a pc is typically 500k +

although there are massive differences keep in mind that you dont need pc speeds on a mobile device if you are using messenger or viewing simple websites.

[koppee1]

i see. thanks for all the input. I'm actually considering this vs using sms. (with the wife mostly)...

[CrashX]

I use the GPRS connection on my h6315 for instant messaging all the time. I typically enable GPRS and login to the IM networks when I leave the house, then just turn off the screen. Messages arrive all day just fine.

Take a look at Agile Messenger (http://www.agilemobile.com/agile_messenger.html). It allows you to connect to all of the major IM networks.

[Chris Spera]

I've been using AIM for PPC for over a year. It is SUPPOSED to only work on PPC2002; but I've been able to get it to work on my i700 running WM2003 and on my PDA2k running WM2003SE.

Hope that helps!

[koppee1]

Hmm, i think i really want to give it a try.

What are the other alternatives out there and which is the best?

The only ones I know of currently are :

Agile Messenger
IM+ Messenger

I heard that one of the (Agile i think) takes awhile to connect. Is that true?

And since I have SPB Pocket which makes progams close when I press X, how do I keep the messenger software open? or minimized.

[CrashX]

I heard that one of the (Agile i think) takes awhile to connect. Is that true?
I don't think Agile takes a long time to connect. It might connect as fast as Trillian does on my laptop and desktop, but they use a broadband connection, not GPRS.

And since I have SPB Pocket which makes progams close when I press X, how do I keep the messenger software open? or minimized.
With SPB Pocket Plus configured to close apps when you tap X, I believe a tap and hold on X should brig up a menu allowing you to minimize.

[koppee1]

ahh! thanks. Gonna give it a try :)