Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 14

T-Mobile and E-mail Alerts w/ VisorPhone

I have Visorphone on Prism, using T-Mobile as carrier, T-Mobile told me that the phone CANNOT be set up to get alerts when I receive e-mail from my POP3 host (Comcast) \

Ideally, I'd like e-mail to display automatically on Visor when I get it, but would settle for an "ALERT", and then dial up to connect if that's all I can do.

I am hearing conflicting stories of what my VP and T-Mobile can and cannot do. Any help from you tech gurus? (I'm just a wannabe, I can't even spell "DOS")

Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 35

pop email requires a client that "pulls" the messages from a server. that's the way it works no matter what the client - your visorphone included, therefore you can't receive a mail "alert" unless you are permanently dialed in and have the email program check for messages constantly. in any case, i don't know of any palm email program that has an alert if you get a new mail message if this were workable.

the only way i can think of to do this is through some klugey workaround, for instance, you can autoforward your email to a message group which includes your mobile phone's txt message email address (ex. [email protected]), and a secondary mailbox that would hold your actual mail. you would then receive a text message on your vphone alerting you to the new mail that will be waiting in the secondary mailbox. also, some mail systems will let you do this through some agent technology but not your run-of-the-mill pop mail.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: New York City
Posts: 158

As was explained, POP is merely a server that allows you retrieve your email on a on-demand basis. But some providers do have auto forwarding services. I have set an auto forward of my mail to my VoiceStream (in the NYC area) (now T-Mobile, but my phone still lists "VStream") number, or specifically, [email protected]. This way I get SMS messages with the first 140 characters of the message, enough to decide if you want to dial-up and get your mail.
This has worked for some time now. Supposedly VStream has a limit on the number of SMS I can receive before being charged, but I don't recall ever being charged for these.
And if you can set it up, you may want to play around with rules, for example I only forward mail that is addressed specifically to me, to cut down on spam, and only do it at hours when I am typically not at home.

Registered: Sep 2002
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 14

E-mail to VisorPhone (T-Mobile0

Yes, I think I ADDED an extra step my forwarding selected e-mail from my office that went to my Comcast POP3 server to YAHOO mail, (which I think is ALSO a POP3) but I did this because I thought YAHOO had an added feature that Comcast and Outlook Express did not have (In fact Outlook has it, but I just didn't have my T-Mobile ADDRESS, now I do since I used YAHOO to forward messages to)

This "KLUGEY" method STILL didn't work, 'cause I had to then go to YAHOO (POP3 again) and "get" my messages, but, at least when I did the TECHNOLOGY worked, and they were forwarded to my T-Mobile via the SMS program.

Now...................I've got to go back into OUTLOOK, set "rules" for fowarding to the T-Mobile adress, and test it again.

Thanks for the input, I'll keep you posted.

Registered: Sep 2002
Location:
Posts: 35

i was trying to describe workarounds that would all be based on servers, not having to run anything on your desktop. if you keep your PC up with Outlook running - you can create rules to forward specific messages to any email including your phone emailbox.