"ScottW" wrote in message
news:1iZQf.136308$0G.36307@dukeread10...
"Robert Morein" wrote in message
...
"ScottW" wrote in message
news:tiqPf.135357$0G.1134@dukeread10...
"Robert Morein" wrote in message
...
I just got my HTC Wizard, see
http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/pda/wizard/index.htm
This Pocket PC/world phone is small, yet so powerful, it is more like
an abstract concept than a tangible object. Since it has no "heft", and
fits in a shirt pocket, one simply has value it according to the
functionality it provides. This gadget of negligible appearance can:
[snip]
Because it's a PHONE. When I'm playing a movie, if the phone rings, I
take the call, and it automatically resumes when I hang up.
It's an unlocked, quad-band world phone, which means that I can take it
to any GSM country ( 250), put in a local sim card, and I'm in
business.
It also puts my laptop on the web, acting as a Class 10 EDGE cell
modem, at speeds up to 216 kb/second.
Sounds like a pretty cool device Bob, but its already obsolete if it
won't
support WCDMA (UMTS) or CDMA 1XeVDO which offer speeds
well above EDGE.
It's not obsolete, Scott; it is not state of the art.
Ok... I've seen demos of EDGE vs EVDO on quite a
few devices... Theres a reason EDGE doesn't bitch
about large files. Its so slow.. no one will bother
for long.
Not true. I've been in motel rooms 500 miles off the Verizon EVDO map, and
downloaded 30 megs at a time. It is slow, but it does not disconnect. I go
over the Verizon data cap every other month.
I am biased but I think the Brew apps
verizon offers is very cool.
You're not biased, you're right! And it is superior technology, that happens
to make a lot of sense for people who rapidly move within the boundaries of
major urban centers.
There is a difference. In choosing between EVDO, UMTS, and EDGE, I had to
go for the solution with the most coverage and the least onerous Terms of
Service.. If you look at Verizon or Sprint EVDO coverage maps, they are
strictkly metro offerings. And while EVDO falls back to 1xRTT, Verizon
is noted as the carrier with the most data holes, and Sprint isn't much
better.
Don't trust the maps... Verizon is more aggressive than Sprint with
data coverage... Sprint update the maps with planned offerings
and Verizon waits till they test the area.
They are both metro offerings, defaulting to 1xRTT, which is actually a
little slower than EDGE.
I had to have a solution that is as omnipresent as possible.
That is a problem...even when the terminal can technically support it
..good luck getting the service provider cross network agreements to
work. Maybe in time but that remains a mess.
EDGE works very well, roaming off of Cingular. It is sometimes necessary to
adjust TTL upwards.
And Cingular HSPDA/UMTS is barely present at all. Also, UMTS bands have
not been harmonized between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
And they never will.
On June 9, the FCC auctions off two blocks of 2100 spectrum. While Cingular
will probably stick with in-band 1900 for their HSPDA, it appears T-Mobile
will go in the international band.
This means that an HTC Universal, deployed in the U.S., is capable of
running only basic GPRS (no EDGE).
Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular offer "unlimited web browsing" for $60 a
month. They specifically prohibit large file downloads. People who go
over 1 gb/month on Verizon are summarily disconnected, with no appeal.
Sprint caps at 2 gb; they simply freeze the account until the next
billing cycle. While T-Mobile EDGE is the slowest, T-Mobile has no usage
restrictions. This is because EDGE/GPRS works by stealing unused time
slots. Since the network is capable prioritizing voice traffic, T-Mobile
is not forced to manage EDGE usage by restrictive TOS.
It also means your worst service experience in peak traffic areas.
You may be left with no data service at times.
Has never happened to me with EDGE. Even while driving 101 in the LA rush
hour, I still clocked 44 kbs, while moving at 50 mph. OTOH, Verizon EVDO
customers in LA report virtual shutdown at peak periods.
For $30/month, T-Mobile gives me unlimited EDGE/GPRS ***AND***
unlimited hotspot access. I find this highly satisfactory. Other users
have other profiles. For example, EVDO seems to be a favorite for
sales/service support in metropolitan areas.
One of the pleasures in technology is anticipation. The field moves so
rapidly that state-of-the-art is almost never available in a fully
deployed, debugged fashion. Yes, my T-Mobile MDA has a short lifetime as
my optimal solution. But I look forward with anticipation to the next
round, where higher data speeds and faster mobile processors will
convince me to replace it. In the next year, we can look forward to
Novatel five-band radio chips, which will allow the construction of
devices that support UMTS/HSPDA/EDGE on both U.S. and international
frequency bands.
Novatel doesn't make chips AFAIK. They use Qualcomm's
http://www.cdmatech.com/products/index.jsp
Thanks for the correction.
http://www.cdmatech.com/news/release...el_msm6200.jsp
ScottW