Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 97

Hey folks,

I have a big question. I'm considering traveling with my VDX, Thincom modem and possibly a Stowaway to China and Hong Kong of all places.

I have LOTS of questions regarding converters and airport hassels. Basically, I want to be able to send e-mail while in at least Hong Kong. I have access to a Compuserve account (I believe that HK has a CServe access phone number).

Here are my questions:

(a) What kind of telephone converter will I need for China (if I can at all find a Compuserve dial up access at all, or maybe I will have to use my AT&T phone card (only 27.5 cents a minute) get dial up the US or even maybe use the HKong dial up access phone number, since I'm only checking and sending e-mail) and for Hong Kong's telephone system? I know that I can't plug my R-11 telephone cord into a Chinese telephone socket.

(b) Does anyone know if Compuserve has a Chinese access number?

(c) what kind of settings do I need to set my modem for? I'm planning on using Eudora or Multimail (I'll buy whichever is better)

(d) Do I need to worry about the X-ray machines? (I read the following thread: http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...p?threadid=9171 )

(e) Do any world travelers (esp. to China/HKong) have any other advice?

Help!

__________________
Pocket PCs, Palm... next victim, MS Windows!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 19

Whew! A lot of questions. I can help you with a few, and add some murkyness to others.

I've never had a problem getting a PDA through the airport... just make sure you have batteries in it, as the way airport security tests to make sure it's a PDA is to turn it on.

Have you actually used Compuserve with the Visor? I tried and couldn't get it to work. Compuserve's DNS service never seemed to function, but I couldn't log onto their email server even if I used a numeric server address. I've since seen on the Thincom website a reference to a Compuserve-specific email client, which might solve the problem (but then it would mean having to use two (for me) email clients: Multimail and Compuserve.

I can't speak to using the Thincom modem overseas, but when I travel domestically I ONLY use a Visor, Stowaway & Thincom for reading/sending email. That's with the caveat that I use ISPs other than Compuserve.

Why not go to the Compuserve website to see if they have any Chinese access numbers?

Phil Frank

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 97

Sorry about the bulk packing of questions...

Phil,

Thanks for your response. It was pretty late when I posted those questions so I just didn't have the synapses working well. I will check with CServe.

And it's a funny thing that you mentioned whether I had actually tried my CServe account yet. No. I have been using a Mindspring ISP account which has a pretty standard connection. I hadn't even thought about the fact that CServe has some kind of proprietary weirdness. Not good for ol'Corky.

As for the airport issue. Thanks, that is helpful. I'm concerned about it looking too suspecious. Especially with a Stowaway.

Does anyone have any further comments on either Compuserve on a Visor connection or telephone converters?

__________________
Pocket PCs, Palm... next victim, MS Windows!

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 321

Re: Sorry about the bulk packing of questions...

cserve's weirdness = being controlled by AOL

quote:

---

Originally posted by Corky
Phil,

Thanks for your response. It was pretty late when I posted those questions so I just didn't have the synapses working well. I will check with CServe.

And it's a funny thing that you mentioned whether I had actually tried my CServe account yet. No. I have been using a Mindspring ISP account which has a pretty standard connection. I hadn't even thought about the fact that CServe has some kind of proprietary weirdness. Not good for ol'Corky.

As for the airport issue. Thanks, that is helpful. I'm concerned about it looking too suspecious. Especially with a Stowaway.

Does anyone have any further comments on either Compuserve on a Visor connection or telephone converters?

---

__________________
My processing power is contributed to
<a href="http://members.ud.com/services/teams/team.htm?id=E3894ECF-2FDA-4B0E-AD9E-45FEFF2D5AB6"><IMG SRC="http://members.ud.com/img/ud_logo_hdr_fff.gif"><a>
JOIN TODAY!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

Re: Sorry about the bulk packing of questions...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Corky
Phil,
As for the airport issue. Thanks, that is helpful. I'm concerned about it looking too suspecious. Especially with a Stowaway.

---

no need to worry about that (unless you wear the e-holster )
I normally put mine either in my backpack which goes throught the X-ray machine or in the the 'coin basket'
Never had any questions asked....

__________________
<IMG WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="50" SRC=http://www.visorcentral.com/images/visorcentral.gif> VisorCentral Discussion Moderator
Do files get embarrassed when they get unzipped?

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

In Hong Kong we use a different type of phone plugs which are a little bit bigger than those being use in U.S. You can find the converter either from those shops inside the airport or other computer shops in here.

For the ISP service, here we got some American's ISP like AOL and AT&T. Maybe you can check with their website to see if you can use their local dail-up numbers.

__________________
Patrick