My phone's display died THREE WEEKS after the warranty expired. :p
I'm not far enough into my contract to qualify for a discount on a new phone.
So, I'm looking for a phone. I'm on T-Mo, so if you want to sell me an AT&T
phone, I'll need you to have AT&T unlock it first. Also, T-Mobile USA is
1900 MHz throughout the country, so it would need to be at least a dual-band
phone. (I believe AT&T is mostly 850)
My only brand requirement is NOT MOTOROLA. My favorite brand is Samsung.
Nokia runs a close second because their phone management software is free.
But it can be anything as long as it's not a Moto.
Data devices are probably out. I'm figuring if I get one, I'd need to get a
data plan, and I'm not switching from the shared-minute family voice-only plan
I'm on now.
The phone needs to be Bluetooth compatible, preferably supporting lots of
different BT profiles, but I'd be happy to at least be able to use my BT
headset and transfer files to/from my BT-equipped laptop.
Lastly, I'd really, really, REALLY prefer a phone with
speaker-independent voice recognition software from VoiceSignal. Many
AT&T phones are equipped with VoiceSignal software. Most T-Mo phones
aren't, except the Motorola PEBL and maybe one or two Blackberries.
The email address I use to post to Usenet is valid, so if you want to email
me about a phone you want to sell, go ahead.
Thanks,
SJS
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.
At 17 Oct 2008 05:32:15 +0000 Steve Sobol wrote:
> My phone's display died THREE WEEKS after the warranty expired. :p
Ugh- sorry to hear that.
> I'm not far enough into my contract to qualify for a discount on a new
phone.
>
> So, I'm looking for a phone. I'm on T-Mo, so if you want to sell me an
AT&T
> phone, I'll need you to have AT&T unlock it first. Also, T-Mobile USA is
> 1900 MHz throughout the country, so it would need to be at least a dual-
> band
> phone. (I believe AT&T is mostly 850)
>
> My only brand requirement is NOT MOTOROLA. My favorite brand is Samsung.
> Nokia runs a close second because their phone management software is
free.
> But it can be anything as long as it's not a Moto.
Take a look at T-Mo's prepaid offerings online and see if any are suitable-
there are a few Sammys. T-Mo will ship it with the prepaid SIM, which you
put away in your junk drawer until you need it someday, and put your
contract SIM in the new phone. T-Mo sells prepaid phones for very little
money vs. the no-contract-extension "upgrade" price for contract
customers. The Motorola (dirty word, I know! This is just an example!)
V195 is $99 (no extension price) for contract customers, $29 on prepaid!
Stupid, of course, but that's the way they do it! I've bought a couple of
low-end T-Mo prepaids to replace broken phones when I was waiting for new
products to be released.
> Data devices are probably out. I'm figuring if I get one, I'd need to get
> a data plan, and I'm not switching from the shared-minute family
> voice-only plan I'm on now.
This is T-Mo, not Verizon... ;-) With the notable exception of the
upcoming Google/Android phone, data plans aren't required with data
devices. You can use a PDA phone just as a PDA, or utilize the built-in
WiFi (if equipped) and not carry any data plan. Secondly, data plans are
add-ons to voice plans, so if you wanted dsta you wouldn't have to change
the voice plan- just add the $6 or $20/month (the rates for
dumb/smartphones respectively.)
["Followup-To:" header set to alt.cellular.t-mobile.]
On 2008-10-17, Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
> At 17 Oct 2008 05:32:15 +0000 Steve Sobol wrote:
>> My phone's display died THREE WEEKS after the warranty expired. :p
>
> Ugh- sorry to hear that.
It's ok, my wife (who is a teacher) has the week off as her district has
a weird give-the-kids-a-week-off-in-October schedule, and I met her for lunch
and found out she'd bought me a brand new Katalyst this morning... :)
> This is T-Mo, not Verizon... ;-) With the notable exception of the
> upcoming Google/Android phone, data plans aren't required with data
> devices. You can use a PDA phone just as a PDA, or utilize the built-in
> WiFi (if equipped) and not carry any data plan. Secondly, data plans are
> add-ons to voice plans, so if you wanted dsta you wouldn't have to change
> the voice plan- just add the $6 or $20/month (the rates for
> dumb/smartphones respectively.)
Well, I am reading your response and just told my wife what you said, and
she responded that if she had $400 to spend on my new phone, she'd have gotten
me a new BlackBerry Pearl. :)
That's OK. The Katalyst has all of the features I want, including VoiceSignal
voice recognition. AND... it's a Hotspot@Home phone. I called my brother back
home, on my WiFi at the house, and then I left the house, and on the way to
the car, the phone executed a seamless transfer to the GSM network. I didn't
even know it had switched until I looked and saw the GSM signal strength
indicator had replaced the 802.11 signal strength indicator. :)
The only problem is that I can't get the phone to connect to my Linksys
WRT54G router unless I leave my wifi wide open. (It's a regular Linksys
router, not the T-Mo branded WRT54TM.)
Right now I have it open, at least for the next day or so. I turned off
WPA and WEP on the router, but I have K-9 security in the backyard, so
it's unlikely that anyone will get close enough to use the wifi. ;)
(Did I mention that my wife rocks?) :)
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.
> The only problem is that I can't get the phone to connect to my Linksys
> WRT54G router unless I leave my wifi wide open. (It's a regular Linksys
> router, not the T-Mo branded WRT54TM.)
>
> Right now I have it open, at least for the next day or so. I turned off
> WPA and WEP on the router, but I have K-9 security in the backyard, so
> it's unlikely that anyone will get close enough to use the wifi. ;)
On 2008-10-18, Todd Allcock <elecconnec@AnoOspamL.com> wrote:
> A quick Google search found this:
>
><http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7813_102-
> 0.html?forumID=62&threadID=277079&messageID=278214 0> (Sorry if my
> newsreader breaks the link...)
>
> It seems to suggest a little complaing to T-Mo, along with a threat to
> return the phone might convince them to give you the T-Mo branded router.
Yahbut... I am reading that the T-Mobile routers are the same as their
non-branded counterparts, and they just do QoS for voice traffic.
They have a Linksys WRT54-TM. I own a Linksys WRT54-G. How much difference
can there be? :) (I guess I'm going to find out.)
I am going to try to get my router working before I ask for a new one. I'm
also going to check online for a firmware update.
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.
In <slrngfl0lt.kqg.sjsobol@amethyst.justthe.net> Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> writes:
>Yahbut... I am reading that the T-Mobile routers are the same as their
>non-branded counterparts, and they just do QoS for voice traffic.
I've got two of them here, and that's the claim. Don't have
reliable ways to measure whether they're actually doing so.
Oh, you might want to look into "t-mobile at home", which is
distinct from "hot spot at home".
As far as I can tell the only routers that are set
up for this is the Linksys WRTU54G-TM, with that "TM"
referring to a specific model for t-mobile.
It has slots in it for two SIM cards, and has two standard
RJ-11 output jacks, so you can put two (quasi) "land line"
numbers in it. (They do a VOIP type connection over the
internet to T-Mobile's switch).
Now obviously it's got the VOIP type issues regarding
internet requirements, loss of power, etc., but if that's
ok with you it's the cheapest way to have a pseudo land line.
T-Mobile charges $10 plus taxes/fees/non-tax/non-fees
for each line/month, and that gives you unlimited calls,
along with v-mail. So for something under $15 you can
have that extra line you always wanted (or you can
port over your landline).
--
__________________________________________________ ___
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
On 2008-10-19, danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
> Oh, you might want to look into "t-mobile at home", which is
> distinct from "hot spot at home".
I am familiar with it, it's VoIP. We have POTS-over-fiber from our
cable company, unlimited local and long distance for $30/month, and we're
happy with it.
> Now obviously it's got the VOIP type issues regarding
> internet requirements, loss of power, etc., but if that's
> ok with you it's the cheapest way to have a pseudo land line.
We don't care about the power issue - our only phone is a cordless. :) And
Charter doesn't provide battery backup for their POTS-over-fiber, as far as
I know. The only company that does is Verizon, with FIOS, and even they just
only started doing that recently.
Anyhow, the Charter phone service is $30 per month, but we get it bundled
with TV and our Internet access, so we save a few bucks per month elsewhere.
It's been rock-solid and I don't think we have any interest in changing.
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.
WTB: used T-Mobile or Cingular/AT&T Cell Phone
Linear Mode
