Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Chelmsford, MA USA
Posts: 20

VoiceStream supports BlackBerry (but not VP)

Did ya see this?

http://www.voicestream.com/products/devices/rim.asp

... a little "kick-in-the-face" to all of us VoiceStream / VisorPhone (& Treo) users. All I want is VoiceStream to support VisorPhones & Treos with the same plan ... unlimited email ... iStream support ...

and if you want another kick-in-the-face, see the sole device that's listed under pda's ...

http://www.voicestream.com/products/phones.asp

Last edited by AndyHN on 03-13-2002 at 03:44 AM

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

ug. I saw this too.. the RIM is even on the frontpage. the frickin thing isn't even available yet...

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Chelmsford, MA USA
Posts: 20

VoiceStream's response ...

Currently the iStream features are only compatible with GPRS-enabled devices. The Visorphone isn't GPRS-enabled, but the Treo may be upgradable in the future according to Handspring's website. At that time alternate plans may be made available. The Blackberry is primarily an email solution so unlimited email was included with the plan.

... well that dashes my hopes for my VisorPhone, but at least its explained. Maybe a Treo will be in my future after all - unless a GPRS VisorPhone is in the works ...

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Posts: 44

RIM is a great mail device but would U really use it for anything else?

RIM make cool email devices - of that there is no doubt. But on the other hand the most exciting add-on software download for them is RIM Chicken. Would you really want to limit yourself to that?

Also the phone on the new RIM has some really poorly thought out functionality - imagine a phone that tells the incoming caller to wait while you try to find the headset to plug it in. You cannot answer the phone without the headset. What if you want to conference or use speakerphone? - forget it! I have a Treo and love it - it could do with a mute on speakerphone function and a single button Launcher home button but these are niggles compared to the strap-on phone functional annoyances of the new RIM.

I am a big fan of RIM as a mail device but they should make a properly integrated phone instead of trying to squish it into their old form factor. They also need to get more hip on their design - it is waay to formal and suity.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

RIM

RIm customers are more valuable to VoiceStream than Treo/VisorPhone customers. Most RIM users are business types and the biggest use of the device is in the Enterprise space. The design is "suity" because it was designd for people in suits --- not the teenage dude looking for the latest toy.

Registered: Dec 2001
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1

... a little "kick-in-the-face" to all of us VoiceStream / VisorPhone (& Treo) users. All I want is VoiceStream to support VisorPhones & Treos with the same plan ... unlimited email ... iStream support.

I hear that ATT is coming to rescue us from some of the worst cust. service I have ever experienced. I travel a lot, and ATT's service was great, but functionality was primative. VoiceStream's GSM lets me surf the web in color from most places, but screwed up my billing for 6 mos. straight, didn't have DataStream service for huge chunks of my early service, and double-billed me for Data minutes. The service just got it's act together as ATT was coming on line. Has anyone else heard of real competition coming into the space?

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 14

can't decide on bluetooth

the first thing that annoyed me (in terms of limited services offered) when I got my VisorPhone with Cingular service was that I couldn't access AOL Instant Messenger through SMS the way customers of Sprint and VoiceStream can. I reasoned after awhile that if Cingular didn't add the service themselves (a rumor that floated around last fall), I'd just move my service over to VoiceStream when they came to the Carolinas, or if worse came to worse give up the VP for the Sprint phone module.

Now I'm coming to understand that even current Voicestream customers with the VisorPhone, or current Sprint customers with the Sprint phone, can't use AOL Instant Messenger with their SMS service. And, probably will never be able too.

I've just been thinking more and more about the future of my Prism, with a smaller bluetooth module on the back and (ugh) another bluetooth- (and GPRS, constant-online, AIM-over-SMS-)capable cellphone back on my belt with it. I'd be capable of more functionality, but back to carrying two units instead of just one. Can't decide, not yet anyway. But at least I could use a bluetooth wireless headset then.

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