Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 31

I purchased my IVD with the intent to connect it to a wireless modem. However, now that I have begun to see the cost of these services I am rethinking it.
My sprint timeport phone has wireless browsing and my entire plan is less than monthly service for just the wireless springboard.

What other alternatives are out there?

For example: Will the 2-way pager card only be good for email or can you use it to pull in selected pages of the web?

any other options? I just cant see spending $50 a month for a phone and an additional $50 for wireless internet. are there any phone companies offering packages of services that include phone and wireless pilot access?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 109

Althoguh the Visor's screen is small, I see it as large whenc omared with the minimal displays found on cell phones (pdQ excluded).

Why would one want to browse the web, or read e-mail on a phone? I think a PDA is bearable for occasional use, but a phone would be unbearable.

I would prefer to connect my Visor to the Internet through a digital cell phone. As long as the usage appears on my bill as just more minute usage, it'd be fine by me.

I agree that the special "wireless" options are far to expensive service-wise.

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Trinition ([email protected])

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

quote:

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Originally posted by Trinition:
I would prefer to connect my Visor to the Internet through a digital cell phone.

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 97

Rmapes has already figured out how to do this with an Efig diagnostic card. Check out this thread:
http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/000371.html

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 73

yeah, actually Sprint PCS is (was) $9.95/mo. but they have a new plan where it's part of your voice minutes (i.e., $49.95 for 500 minutes, I think). Also, at 9600 bps e-mail is surprisingly quick to download and you don't burn up too many minutes (you only get the text, not the attachments - but who cares). I can also surf the net with proxiweb, but I only do it occasionally - to get yahoo news, sports, weather. By the way, the EFIG module's main feature is its serial port. From what I can tell, stripping out its other functionality (i.e., terminal emulation) probably wouldn't make a dent in the cost. The EFIG is basically a UART chip implementation and software that provides the configurable command set to communicate with other serial devices including modems. My only wish is that the EFIG had a DB9 connector (as an option)with the null modem built in so that you could connect the Sprint cell phone data cable directly to the module. I had to make my own cable that has the Sprint PCS data cable connector on one end and the EFIG 10 pin header connector (for flat ribbon cable) on the other end. My cable is about 5 inches long - it works great since I can hold my phone and Visor in one hand while initiating and dowloading e-mail. The cable easily fits in my pocket when not in use.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

quote:

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I've read that digital cell phone modems are limited to 9600 bps. If this is true, they wouldn't be very useful for web access, would they? Even email at 9600 could be a painfully slow adventure...

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

I'm going for the Glenayre two-way pager due out next month. It can send and receive email, it will alert you when you have email with a page (unlike other wireless Palm solutions), and, of course, it functions as a regular pager. Composing text messages from a cell phone's numeric keypad is even more painful than reading the phone's screen. A PDA is much better suited for this purpose (which was the original intention behind the PDA anyway, hence the Newton MessagePad).

Glenayre's website claims that its pager will be able to access the web, but there's no detail on what method they'll be using to do this. Obviously, being a pager, it's not real-time. But hopefully it will be able to access PQAs like the Palm.

Real-time access is great, but it's just too expensive right now. Besides, in most cases where someone really needs instant wireless access, he or she just needs to get information like addresses, phone numbers, showtimes, stock quotes, traffic, weather, etc. PQAs are fine for this. Real-time browsing, which is more of a leisurely activity anyway, can be done with a landline modem.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 251

Wow! I just took a look at the Glenayre module. Technologically, it sounds like I'd love it.

It's a little big though. You'd need an awfully tall case to hold it.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: NJ
Posts: 517

I'll start by saying I don't know anything about pagers.

Does the Glenayre pager require some type of service? What do you think the cost will be of such a service?

The other pager I've heard of, the infomitt,(which there doesn't seem to be any info around anymore) looked like it was a lot smaller from the pictures I remember. Was that supposed to have the same functionality as the Glenayre pager?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Glenayre's @ctiveLink pager, like all pagers, will require a service plan. If the pricing was anything like the InfoMitt's SkyTel plan ($39.95 for 3 months or 1000 units: 10 characters = 1 unit), then it's much more reasonable than $50 a month for a "real" wireless modem.

Unfortunately Glenayre doesn't have any pricing information on their website, even for their existing products. Wireless as become such a buzzword, as the AT&T Wireless IPO demonstrated, that Glenayre changed the product description from "two-way pager" to "wireless messaging module." My main reservation is that they might assume, like Palm or Omnisky, that consumers are willing to pay any amount for wirelessness.

Glenayre claims you can "send requests to Internet information services for sports, stock market, weather updates, and more." I'm hoping that this information will be accessed through PQAs, but my fear is that Glenayre is building some kind of proprietary information network. While this is not terrible per se, it does mean that they'll have to pass the cost of such an infrastructure on to the consumer, like the $40/mo. Palm.net service.

The InfoMitt, at least as originally advertised, is a one-way pager. Sensitive to the criticism, Innogear even put ONE-WAY in all caps on their website, then started calling it the "InfoMitt Receiver." The InfoMitt draws its power from the Visor also will not work outside of it, while the @ctiveLink, having its own batteries, will. When the @ctiveLink was announced a few months ago, Innogear was at a severe disadvantage. Not only was Glenayre's unit two-way, but the company even committed to a July release while Innogear only slated the InfoMitt for "summer" (note the Glenayre's site now says "summer" as well -- a bad harbinger?). The one thing the InfoMitt does have on the @ctiveLink is a really cool form factor (yeah, Rolando, the @ctiveLink's form factor sucks). I suspect Innogear offloaded the InfoMitt to Global Access knowing they were going to get hammered.

I also suspect that either Innogear or GA, or both, are working in stealth on a two-way model. We'll probably see a lot of modules at PC Expo 2K that have had no advanced announcement.

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 06-03-2000).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

The InfoBeam has a link to a FAQ page, which has a link to PDA Planet, which has a service plan pricing page here. If I'm reading it right, it looks like the basic service plan is $24.95 a month (plus a $20.00 signup fee), which allows 1000 10-character block messages.

I don't know about this. It's adequate for email, but you have to factor in all "free" the InfoBeam information services (stock quotes, phone numbers, etc.) which include advertising (making it free) that will probably eat up character blocks fast. So the information might be free, but you're still paying for the additional data (i.e. it's deducted from the monthly data allowance) when the reply to your request for a phone number is preceded by "Get free lifetime DSL from Cheapskate.com!"

Overall, I think it's only marginally better the Palm.net or Go America's service plan.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: NJ
Posts: 517

Still not quite as cheap as I'd like it to be. I hope that when all of Palms devices are wireless by the end of the year (or so they say) that these services will come down in price. When a large percent of PDA owners have wireless access the price has to drop, right? Well maybe it is just wishful thinking.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 43

For those interested in wireless paging, Motorola is coming out with 2 way wireless paging at a reasonable price. In fact they call it paging for the masses. If this proves to be a hit, all pricing plans for two way pagers will have to come down to compete. Check out the article. http://www.msnbc.com/news/412663.asp

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 31

Wow PK (hopefully not for "pda killer") !
that motorola two-way pager looks like it will bring pager prices way down - but will they make a springboard (small factor) for us?
*crosses fingers*

Thanks to everyone who has contributed!
this is really an informative thread.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

I'm not a big fan of the Motorola's form factor. I hate tiny keyboards and much prefer a pen. But at $9.95 a month, it's definitely going to be a big thing.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 19

My only wish is that the EFIG had a DB9 connector (as an option)with the null modem built in so that you could connect the Sprint cell phone data cable directly to the module. I had to make my own cable that has the Sprint PCS data cable connector on one end and the EFIG 10 pin header connector (for flat ribbon cable) on the other end

I am trying your suggestion with the efig module and a Motorola Timeport Sprint PCS Phone with the data cable connected to the efig through a null modem plug and it is not working. Doesn't work with Nokia 6160/AT&T either. Am I missing something?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Watertown MA, USA
Posts: 15

quote:

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Originally posted by Gameboy70:

Unfortunately Glenayre doesn't have any pricing information on their website, even for their existing products.

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