Flux Capacitor? But where would we get the 1.21 gigawatts?
I'm in too, whatever we decide on. JAM is the best reporter on AZB!
There is a cool tool at June Fabrics http://junefabrics.com/pdanet/index.php
that lets me connect my Treo 650 to my laptop and use data minutes instead of cell minutes (I am pretty sure I have unlimited data minutes, but I don't pay my cell phone bill, so not sure.) There is a free trial, but it seems like you always need it after it has expired and you can't get online to download it again, lol. So I just sprung for the full price.
The only problem is that it does use the same cell towers for signal and in Longview, WA where we have a monthly tournament, I can't get a signal.
I keep bugging them to put in Wi-fi.
I do have a friend that bought the T-mobile card and his service is only $39/mo. My service is with Verizon and so I didn't want to change, but maybe someone could look into that?
There is a cool tool at June Fabrics http://junefabrics.com/pdanet/index.php
that lets me connect my Treo 650 to my laptop and use data minutes instead of cell minutes (I am pretty sure I have unlimited data minutes, but I don't pay my cell phone bill, so not sure.) There is a free trial, but it seems like you always need it after it has expired and you can't get online to download it again, lol. So I just sprung for the full price.
The only problem is that it does use the same cell towers for signal and in Longview, WA where we have a monthly tournament, I can't get a signal.
I keep bugging them to put in Wi-fi.I do have a friend that bought the T-mobile card and his service is only $39/mo. My service is with Verizon and so I didn't want to change, but maybe someone could look into that?
I have a Sprint Cell Phone and at my old apartment we didnt even have a land line. So I had the unlimited internet access added to my cell phone plan, and bought a USB cable hook up to go from my cell phone to my laptop and BAM!!!! online. Yes it was basically like dial up, but hey it worked.
And yes if i ever did plan to go on trips or long car rides, i could hook up my cell phone and be online while in a car,,, when i am not driving! As long as i had a signal for my cell phone to dial out on.
And yes if i ever did plan to go on trips or long car rides, i could hook up my cell phone and be online while in a car,,, when i am not driving! As long as i had a signal for my cell phone to dial out on.
Regarding tethering:
Currently Verizon does offer some tethering services, to use EV-DO capable phones/plans as a modem for one's laptop.
However, this is a $15/month fee.
To avoid this, users who have an EV-DO plan can use a program called PDANet. For $35 you can install a program onto your laptop that will allow a phone with data service to be used as a modem for your laptop. They also support the new Windows Mobile 5.0 OS.
Currently Verizon does offer some tethering services, to use EV-DO capable phones/plans as a modem for one's laptop.
However, this is a $15/month fee.
To avoid this, users who have an EV-DO plan can use a program called PDANet. For $35 you can install a program onto your laptop that will allow a phone with data service to be used as a modem for your laptop. They also support the new Windows Mobile 5.0 OS.
PS: Is my inner geek showing yet?
StevenPWaldon said:
maybe I could be of some assistance
Hey, I work in the cellular industry and have done so for about six years now. At my store, I exclusively sell Cingular but am also pretty well versed when it comes to the other major carriers, ie. Sprint, Verizon, and TMobile.
I think you're most ideal setup would be a laptop card with either Verizon or Cingular. It wouldn't inhibit any cell phone use like tethering your phone would. Also, in my experience there are less hoops to jump through with the laptop card.
Verizon has two options, $59.99 a month for "National Access" which is 60-80 kbps or 79.99 per month for "Broadband Access" which claims 400-700 kbps. I believe the latter is only 59.99 per month as a promotion they're running and would be the obvious choice between the two. Both are unlimited access.
Cingular has two options as well. They have a 59.99 plan for unlimited use that would be comparable to Verizon's "Broadband Access." They claim the same speeds of 400-700 kbps in areas that are "3G" and 70-135 kbps in other areas that are "EDGE". The other option is 79.99 per month for the same unlimited use of the laptop but also unlimited Wi-Fi access in any Cingular hot spots. Many airports have this. I think the former would be the ideal choice in this case. Once again, both are umlimited access.
Bottom line is that with either of these two carriers, the respective high speeds of "Broadband" and "3G" areas are going to be limited to major cities only. Each carrier has a list of the cities in which these services are available. This means that when you're in Houston, TX, you could expect the high speed connectivity but when you're driving between Seattle and Spokane, WA you could expect the slower speeds, which still happen to be better than dial up in most cases.
Each companies air time card in considered "backwards compatible" so that it will operate on all of their data networks, or "speeds" so to speak. So you wouldn't be limited to where you could get service, just what speeds you could expect dependant on where you're located. This means one card for any speed network they have, slow or fast.
Cingular claims to have the largest data network in the US. Where I am in Boise, ID we only have "EDGE" connectivity. I see pretty average speeds of around 120k in a strong signal area here. We are waiting for our data network to be upgraded to "3G" so that we'll have those higher speeds. Unfortunately we're not considered to be a big enough market so we get to wait
Verizon is a little slower comparatively in non high speed areas but still sufficient and very competetive in the major cities.
Either way, you're looking at a cost of $60/month plus taxes either route you choose. I hope this might have informed you a little better about what's available. It's a bit confusing for some so if anyone has any questions or I can clarify anything for you, please don't hesitate to pm me. I'll gladly look into anything for you regarding wireless service!
Also, as a side note, start up fees including activation and the cost of the air time card are going to be nearly identical with either company. One year, or two year contracts are both availble whichever you choose only affects the price of the air time card.
Jason
Hey, I work in the cellular industry and have done so for about six years now. At my store, I exclusively sell Cingular but am also pretty well versed when it comes to the other major carriers, ie. Sprint, Verizon, and TMobile.
I think you're most ideal setup would be a laptop card with either Verizon or Cingular. It wouldn't inhibit any cell phone use like tethering your phone would. Also, in my experience there are less hoops to jump through with the laptop card.
Verizon has two options, $59.99 a month for "National Access" which is 60-80 kbps or 79.99 per month for "Broadband Access" which claims 400-700 kbps. I believe the latter is only 59.99 per month as a promotion they're running and would be the obvious choice between the two. Both are unlimited access.
Cingular has two options as well. They have a 59.99 plan for unlimited use that would be comparable to Verizon's "Broadband Access." They claim the same speeds of 400-700 kbps in areas that are "3G" and 70-135 kbps in other areas that are "EDGE". The other option is 79.99 per month for the same unlimited use of the laptop but also unlimited Wi-Fi access in any Cingular hot spots. Many airports have this. I think the former would be the ideal choice in this case. Once again, both are umlimited access.
Bottom line is that with either of these two carriers, the respective high speeds of "Broadband" and "3G" areas are going to be limited to major cities only. Each carrier has a list of the cities in which these services are available. This means that when you're in Houston, TX, you could expect the high speed connectivity but when you're driving between Seattle and Spokane, WA you could expect the slower speeds, which still happen to be better than dial up in most cases.
Each companies air time card in considered "backwards compatible" so that it will operate on all of their data networks, or "speeds" so to speak. So you wouldn't be limited to where you could get service, just what speeds you could expect dependant on where you're located. This means one card for any speed network they have, slow or fast.
Cingular claims to have the largest data network in the US. Where I am in Boise, ID we only have "EDGE" connectivity. I see pretty average speeds of around 120k in a strong signal area here. We are waiting for our data network to be upgraded to "3G" so that we'll have those higher speeds. Unfortunately we're not considered to be a big enough market so we get to wait
Verizon is a little slower comparatively in non high speed areas but still sufficient and very competetive in the major cities.Either way, you're looking at a cost of $60/month plus taxes either route you choose. I hope this might have informed you a little better about what's available. It's a bit confusing for some so if anyone has any questions or I can clarify anything for you, please don't hesitate to pm me. I'll gladly look into anything for you regarding wireless service!
Also, as a side note, start up fees including activation and the cost of the air time card are going to be nearly identical with either company. One year, or two year contracts are both availble whichever you choose only affects the price of the air time card.
Jason
NYC cue dude
Banned
wwan
i just purchased a very small sony vaio tx series computer which is now offering wwan (as oposed to wifi)m capability. All you have to do is go to a cingular service provider and they install a data sim card (the same kind of tiny card found in a cell phone, but data only). Apparently, a cell phone sim card wont work in a laptop and vice versa. I think I pay about 70 per month including all taxes and unlimited usage. There was an activation fee, i dont remeber but less than 50. Speeds are a little less than than dsl, but perfect for on the go usage, like in the car, on a park bench or table side at the venetian. This thing works just about anywhere. I also purchased an ac outlet converter that plugs into the car lighter and this provides a wonderful outlet for prolonged usage and charging anything.
rg
i just purchased a very small sony vaio tx series computer which is now offering wwan (as oposed to wifi)m capability. All you have to do is go to a cingular service provider and they install a data sim card (the same kind of tiny card found in a cell phone, but data only). Apparently, a cell phone sim card wont work in a laptop and vice versa. I think I pay about 70 per month including all taxes and unlimited usage. There was an activation fee, i dont remeber but less than 50. Speeds are a little less than than dsl, but perfect for on the go usage, like in the car, on a park bench or table side at the venetian. This thing works just about anywhere. I also purchased an ac outlet converter that plugs into the car lighter and this provides a wonderful outlet for prolonged usage and charging anything.
rg
O
onepocketchump
Guest
bump
Just a reminder. To the newbies - watch JAM's posts throughout the IPT tournament and decided if you want to participate in getting her a cellular card so she can have access to the net all the time.
John Barton
Just a reminder. To the newbies - watch JAM's posts throughout the IPT tournament and decided if you want to participate in getting her a cellular card so she can have access to the net all the time.
John Barton
O
onepocketchump
Guest
bump bump bump
T
Timberly
Guest
Jason is da bomb! He spent 25 min on the phone with me yesterday explaining things in "stupid girl doesn't understand computers" language.jasngrady said:
I think raising the funds to get the card for her computer ($100) is the first step. Anything over that can maybe be prepaid monthly service for however much is raised?
The beauty of the card plan, at least through cingular is that you can change your plan from month to month. If there's a month that there's not a big tourney and Jennie knows that she's not going to need to really utilize her laptop, she can drop down to the $20 plan which is fine if you're just using email. Then when she knows she's going to be out of town like this month... she can change the plan to the $60 unlimited plan for the month so that she doesn't have to worry.
I love it that they give you option to change the plan on a monthly basis. There's some months where I would use it like crazy and others hardly, if at all.
O
onepocketchump
Guest
Timberly said:Jason is da bomb! He spent 25 min on the phone with me yesterday explaining things in "stupid girl doesn't understand computers" language.
I think raising the funds to get the card for her computer ($100) is the first step. Anything over that can maybe be prepaid monthly service for however much is raised?
The beauty of the card plan, at least through cingular is that you can change your plan from month to month. If there's a month that there's not a big tourney and Jennie knows that she's not going to need to really utilize her laptop, she can drop down to the $20 plan which is fine if you're just using email. Then when she knows she's going to be out of town like this month... she can change the plan to the $60 unlimited plan for the month so that she doesn't have to worry.
I love it that they give you option to change the plan on a monthly basis. There's some months where I would use it like crazy and others hardly, if at all.
Cool. I think we are close. Since Mike hasn't answered with any willingness to help out here - maybe he hasn't seen it - I will probably just give out my PayPal account to accept the donations.
Hell, for all I know we might even be able to do a sort of NetFlix style of sharing and FedEx the card to whomever needs it at whichever tournament is prevalent at the time. I am down for whatever gets us the best reporting. Let's make it a NON-CORPORATE non-affilated affair. The posting doesn't have to be through AZB. We could have our own blog somewhere that is non-discussion, just a place to have the info posted without fear of it being diluted, hijacked, censored or deleted.
There are a million free blog websites where we can do this with ZERO issues.
John