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Flightboy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 08 Apr 2008 at 11:51pm
Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone had tried it out. Vodaphone tried to sell it to me today saying i wud get 3.6MB and 3GB allowence a month for £15. Just wondered if anyone had tried it? might get it just for them long train rides up north and long waits at heathrow Tongue

Flightboy
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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Hi,

Do you already have a mobile? How much do you pay per month?

I had considered the offering from 3 (it was the cheapest at the time) but went instead with T-Mobile on their Flext 35 package with the Web'n'Walk Plus. It was on offer at the time and costs me £42.50/mo. for the package, and I got the MDA Vario III PDA Phone free (should have been £80 but I negotiated Wink ). I can connect that to my laptop via USB and use it as a MODEM, so if I'm in a HSDPA area I get 3.6 Mb/sec connection, with downgrades (in order): 3G+, 3G, UMTS, GPRS, and GSM.

The handset itself is a full-blown Windows Mobile 6 Pro device, with its own web browser etc.. as well as it being a phone. It's nothing short of bloody fantastic!! Best handset I've ever owned.

It means I can leave my laptop at home if all I want is e-mail or the 'net on the go. The package includes 3 Gb/month "unlimited" use. The only restriction is that I can't use Skype for VOICE calls - I need the top Web'n'Walk package for that.

Something for you to consider. Above all - NEGOTIATE ON THE HANDSET!

This is the actual handset; T-Mobile re-branded it the MDA Vario III but they're identical. HTC make them. http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=640

It's a quad-band handset, and there is virtually nowhere it won't work (as long as you can get a signal).

Network
HSDPA/UMTS: Tri-band 850, 1900, 2100 MHz
HSDPA: Up to 384kbps for upload and 3.6Mbps for download
UMTS: Up to 384kbps for upload and download
GSM/GPRS/EDGE: Quad-band 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz (The device will operate on frequencies available from the cellular network)


Best regards,
Vulcan.
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Flightboy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Flightboy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2008 at 12:33am
No i just considered the USB modem Smile I have a iphone, LG viewty and i have a phone and sim that i use when im in america Thumbs%20Up

Just wondered if you did get 3.6mb and if it works well tbh?

Flightboy
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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2008 at 12:43am
Hi,

Hmmm.... my handset is smart and uses GPRS for the light stuff, switching to HSDPA when it needs to (I guess to keep the HSDPA network as free as possible).

The few times I've used it so far it has been great. It sometimes hangs if it uses the HSDPA network then it sits idle for a minute or two, but that could be my handset rather than the network or the technology in general.

Thought I'd suggest you looking at the handset as it probably offered better value for money and flexibility. Smile

If you go into your local T-Mobile or Vodafone store, they might have a laptop hooked up with the unit. It appears to be very good. I've yet to try my laptop with the phone. I can give that a try sometime this week if you'd like? I'm in a 3G area, so I can give you an idea of what it runs like?

Note that HSDPA is limited to the metro areas. 3G has a much greater coverage, dropping to GPRS in the sticks. If you're in a large city, I'd image HSDPA coverage would be pretty good.

I suggest looking at the coverage checkers for Vodaphone, 3 and T-Mobile. Of any of them, T-Mobile offered the overall best data package.

Best regards,
Vulcan.
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Flightboy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Flightboy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2008 at 4:34am
Originally posted by VulcanB2 VulcanB2 wrote:

Hi,

Hmmm.... my handset is smart and uses GPRS for the light stuff, switching to HSDPA when it needs to (I guess to keep the HSDPA network as free as possible).

The few times I've used it so far it has been great. It sometimes hangs if it uses the HSDPA network then it sits idle for a minute or two, but that could be my handset rather than the network or the technology in general.

Thought I'd suggest you looking at the handset as it probably offered better value for money and flexibility. Smile

If you go into your local T-Mobile or Vodafone store, they might have a laptop hooked up with the unit. It appears to be very good. I've yet to try my laptop with the phone. I can give that a try sometime this week if you'd like? I'm in a 3G area, so I can give you an idea of what it runs like?

Note that HSDPA is limited to the metro areas. 3G has a much greater coverage, dropping to GPRS in the sticks. If you're in a large city, I'd image HSDPA coverage would be pretty good.

I suggest looking at the coverage checkers for Vodaphone, 3 and T-Mobile. Of any of them, T-Mobile offered the overall best data package.

Best regards,
Vulcan.


That would be great vilcan Smile in close to london so i have always been able to get 3G so i assume the connection would be ok. I may go and buy it if i get bored tomorrow Tongue im off up north on the train next week so i cud surf the net on my way!

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Flightboy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Flightboy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2008 at 4:57pm
Went for the vodaphone one and works really well! the signal here is excellent and the speed is good. i also brought a few other bargains!

Do you know vulcan if there is a way you can keep a eye on your usage?

Flightboy

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VulcanB2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VulcanB2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Apr 2008 at 1:05am
Hi,

Hmm... on T-Mobile I get numerous text messages per week that tell me how much credit I have left, but as yet nothing on the data usage.

I've registered on their site so I can see my bill at anytime though, and it includes data usage there. I guess Vodaphone have a similar thing?

EDIT: I just looked at my account since I started using the data on it, and whilst it breaks down (by connection) how much data I transferred, it does NOT total the usage for this bill (I'd have to total it up manually - a lot of entries!).

Quote Went for the vodaphone one and works really well! the signal here is excellent and the speed is good. i also brought a few other bargains!

Great! I was in a 3G area the other day and whilst it was notably slower than HSDPA, if I sat and read my paper whilst I waited for it to load, it wasn't bad at all!

Here is a tip: to reduce usage and speed up downloads, disable images in the browser. Worked a treat on my smartphone!

Best regards,
Vulcan.
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