[skyman]

Ok, I have a 1GHz Ti PowerBook and I am on the road a lot. I am tired of slow dial-up at most of the hotels I stay at.

So, calling all mobile Powerbook users.

What is the "best", "fastest", "least expensive" mobile service available for the Ti PowerBook?

Please provided specifics like, service provider, model of cell phone, bandwidth and any special cables needed.

Thanks!

[alpha rays max]

Originally posted by skyman:
Please provided specifics like, service provider, model of cell phone, bandwidth and any special cables needed.

Well, I have Verizon and am not ready to give up their excellent coverage for other providers which I've found to be somewhat lacking while travelling (and I've tried quite a few).

So I've got the 1xRTT service (they call it Express Network), minutes-only-use added to my nationwide long distance/roaming plan.

$39.99/mo for 400 weekday, 1000 mobile-to-mobile, and unlimited nights & weekends. (EDIT: I should mention that this particular price point is voice and data bundled - there are add-on plans where you can be charged by the megabyte rather than by minutes. Those generally run from $39.99 - on top of your voice plan, if it's not a data-only account - for 20 MB/month to $79.99 for unlimited megabytes).

Speeds average around 80-110 Kbps, which is roughly above the speed of typical dial-up. Not bad for email, chatting, and light web browsing.

You would need a data cable for your phone as Verizon does not currently offer any BlueTooth phones (which is a huge drawback for me, but whatever...)

[Mithras]

...and your other option is a GPRS service.

I use T-mobile which offers unlimited GPRS for $20/month, on top of your regular voice plan.

The tradeoff is that the speeds are lower than the CDMA services, around 25-40kbps, which is about the same as dialup. And coverage is not as extensive as the CDMA networks, but it's fine in all major and minor cities.

And there are plenty of Bluetooth phones to choose from; I use the Nokia 3650.


These two posts sum up your wireless options. You could get different providers (Cingular or AT&T on GPRS, or Sprint on 1xRTT), but the basic stats will be the same.

[skyman]

GPRS vs CDMA

Here is a good article:

http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupda...908462,00.html

[romeosc]

Stay at a Hilton..... they have free in room ethernet connected to T1 connection!

Only problem.... you have to send email through Yahoo or another service.

[alpha rays max]

I have to say, T-mobile is pretty attractive.

Truth is, Verizon has some of the highest rates around (although their coverage is generally more extensive, as you said, if you're staying in relatively populated areas, this isn't going to be much of a problem with most providers) and doesn't offer Bluetooth. It's a shame, because BT is perfectly suited for this. I'd love to be able to leave my phone in my bag and just start surfing instead of hooking up a cable.

The deciding factor for me was primarily because I already had an account with Verizon and a plan that I can't really get anywhere else. If I were starting fresh though, and if I were going to use the phone primarily for data services, I probably would look very closely at T-mobile.

(For a pricing example, Verizon's 1xRTT plan breaks down to $79.99/month for unlimited access, ON TOP OF your voice minute plan.)

Originally posted by Mithras:
I use T-mobile which offers unlimited GPRS for $20/month, on top of your regular voice plan.

[skyman]

Ok, I switched to Verizon and bought the LG 6000 phone.

Does anyone know where I can get a modem script for this phone?

Thanks!

[alpha rays max]

Check your email, I sent you all the instructions you'll need to get started. Of course let me know if you have any questions.

The cable is the big issue with the LG VX6000 - I hope Verizon comes out with an OEM version of this soon... in the mean time your only option is the cable marketed for the LG 1200 (they're the same cable/phone connector)... and getting one of those is somewhat difficult right now. But check your email, it contains some more info.

[skyman]

Originally posted by alpha rays max:
Check your email, I sent you all the instructions you'll need to get started. Of course let me know if you have any questions.

The cable is the big issue with the LG VX6000 - I hope Verizon comes out with an OEM version of this soon... in the mean time your only option is the cable marketed for the LG 1200 (they're the same cable/phone connector)... and getting one of those is somewhat difficult right now. But check your email, it contains some more info.

Thanks!

[coolmacdude]

Originally posted by romeosc:
Stay at a Hilton..... they have free in room ethernet connected to T1 connection!

Only problem.... you have to send email through Yahoo or another service.

Not if you use sendmail.