STrRedWolf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strredwolf) wrote2008-01-09 02:13 pm
strredwolf) wrote2008-01-09 02:13 pm
From pre- to post-paid...
On one of the down-times in programming, I checked into post-paid phone plans and WWAN cards at the suggestion of Bookworm.
I tossed Sprint without even looking at their site. I've heard too many complaints, both when I did a short stint at a wireless kiosk and at work. Plus, they recently were borged by Nextel and they're still having problems getting their act together -- so much the Consumerist was able to get them to set up a special hotline. The third strike is that they're CDMA, which doesn't fly if I go to Canada or overseas. They're out.
Verizon is also out, because they too are CDMA (although they're switching because their wireless part-owner, Vodaphone, is GSM and they also want to go with 4G LTE). The same with Alltel, and there's no word on them lasting.
Which leaves the GSM providers, T-Mobile (Deutche Telecomm) and AT&T... unfortunately, T-Mobile's coverage map is spotty, and there's no word on them having 3G service AT ALL.
So it's AT&T. At least I'm in an area with 3G data coverage. Guess I'm looking at a phone/datacard combo purchase.
I tossed Sprint without even looking at their site. I've heard too many complaints, both when I did a short stint at a wireless kiosk and at work. Plus, they recently were borged by Nextel and they're still having problems getting their act together -- so much the Consumerist was able to get them to set up a special hotline. The third strike is that they're CDMA, which doesn't fly if I go to Canada or overseas. They're out.
Verizon is also out, because they too are CDMA (although they're switching because their wireless part-owner, Vodaphone, is GSM and they also want to go with 4G LTE). The same with Alltel, and there's no word on them lasting.
Which leaves the GSM providers, T-Mobile (Deutche Telecomm) and AT&T... unfortunately, T-Mobile's coverage map is spotty, and there's no word on them having 3G service AT ALL.
So it's AT&T. At least I'm in an area with 3G data coverage. Guess I'm looking at a phone/datacard combo purchase.
no subject
I'm currently with AT&T on their GoPhones, the Nokia 6102i. It's built so I could be lazy. I had a Motorola but switched because the web browser font was too damn large. It too was designed for laziness. I've only had to crack the manual on it a few times. The LG's I had to come up and help Mom and Dad to work it, and eventually they had to read through the manual entirely just to understand how it was doing things because I was getting rightfully annoyed at having to come up and struggle myself. A Cell phone should place calls very damn well, and let everything else be fairly easy and obvious to do. The Nokia and Motorola all had a soft key which had "Back" or whatnot.
Would a Nokia on Verizon work well? Sure. I'd be happy about it. But technically Verizon's CDMA and you can't internationally roam on CDMA alone -- the world's gone GSM!
Now I'm ranting. Yeah, I'm just comfortable with AT&T.
no subject
2)I don't understand how you can be having trouble with the phones unless they are using an older phone like the LG chocolate (vx8500 not the improved vx8550) which is crap phones as well.
3)Verizon sells 1 or 2 Nokias and they are both crap phones. Nokia has aknowleged that they can't make a decent CDMA phone so they have Pantec make them mostly. Main reason is that Nokia and Motorla don't like using chips from others, they want to use their own which makes them suffer when it comes to CDMA bases because Qualcom is just so much better at it then they are (its their technology so no surprise.)
4) most of North America, South America, and The Asias (including Japan) all have CDMA avalible in the countries. Also as I stated before, Verizon sells GSM/CDMA phones. Yes GSM is wider spread, but in the states, CDMA is better intergrated.
5) Data network: there is only really two companies for good data, thats Sprint (ugh) and Verizon (yay!). AT&T use an underdeveloped 3g network (mostly WCDMA) and EDGE which just sucks in speed comparison.
6) if its just that you rather stick with what you know instead of finding something new and possibly better, I can't agrue with that because thats just a condition not an objection so why are you bringing up the possiblity of going to other carriers if your not really wanting to?
no subject
Eh, yeah, I'd rather stick with a known good choice (AT&T) that I haven't had too many problems with. Verizon may be better but two years from now it'll change.
*sigh* makes me want to build a wifi/bluetooth to 3G Stompbox like Tug built for MAKE.