Best phone and carrier for carpc ??

**Cruznlife1** · 05-26-2005, 10:03 AM

My nextel contract is up in a month, thank god.... Anyways, I'm looking to get a regular cell phone again....

Looking for the best carrier for wireless internet.... Cheap and fast is always good

Best phone for phone control, I'm using windows xp if it matters and can buy any software I may need.... I basically want to plug the phone in and be able to have the pc do it all with it.... I'll pay whatever I need to on a phone, so price isnt THAT big of a deal.... Would like to keep the phone under 300 though.... Thanks guys

**cdm** · 05-26-2005, 03:29 PM

i like to keep them separate so i'll only address the internet part.

verizon's edge if you can afford it is the best. tmobile will be getting it too later this year.

meanwhile, it is hard to beat their prices and coverage so i'll go with tmobile. i had them for a while now and am very happy.

**kai445** · 05-26-2005, 06:58 PM

I've never used phonecontrol but if it needs bluetooth to access the phone, good luck. The V710 is all verizon has, and its quite crippled when it comes to bluetooth (early 710 revisions had problems with not just the camera, but also connecting to car hands-free kits).

I'd switch to a nice GSM provider like Cingular or T-Mobile.

**gospeed.racer** · 05-26-2005, 11:11 PM

I like my tmobile with a pcmcia ericcson card...also does 802.11 where available and only costs $40 for a seperate line and unlimited access including a bunch of text messages as well. Its nice to have them seperate. Only problem would be getting a pcmcia to usb or pci adaptor

**Cruznlife1** · 05-27-2005, 01:37 AM

Yeah, I think cingular is the way I'm going anyways

**xBrady** · 05-27-2005, 01:52 AM

Sprint is going to have the cheapest internet. I don't know which, if any of their phones work with PhoneControl and I"m certain they don't have the fastest internet.

**0l33l** · 05-27-2005, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by xBrady

Sprint is going to have the cheapest internet. I don't know which, if any of their phones work with PhoneControl and I"m certain they don't have the fastest internet.

Sprint uses the CDMA network. This netwrok is incompatable with phonecontrol. Do not use sprint.

**Rafster** · 05-27-2005, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by cdm

i like to keep them separate so i'll only address the internet part.

verizon's edge if you can afford it is the best. tmobile will be getting it too later this year.

meanwhile, it is hard to beat their prices and coverage so i'll go with tmobile. i had them for a while now and am very happy.

@CDM - Verizon doesn't use Edge, it uses EVDO.

The only carrier in the US that has Edge service is Cingular. T-mobile will get it in 1Q of '06.

@Cruz- So you got tired of people getting "Please wait while the Nextel subscriber is being located"?

Cingular is by far the best deal (And that isn't only b/c I work for them). They are the only cell company (That I know of) that has rollover, and Guarantees No Roaming or Long Distance on their national plans. Other providers (Sprint, T-mobile, and Verizon) split their maps into sections (Even on National Plans). What this means is even if you have service, you might be using someone elses antenas. Feel free to look and read trough the brochures (Especially T-mobile and Sprint). On the T-mobile brochures, where the "National Map" is, you'll notice that it has a Digital Roaming area (Even on National Plans), and read the fine print on the Sprint Brochure. If you go into an Analog area, domestic off-network roaming calls are $0.50 per minute with an extra $0.25 per minute long distance charge where applicable. I'll post info from Cingulars site too. Unfortunately, I can't find info on Verizon's Roaming b/c their site is down (@ least for me).

http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/
http://www.sprintpcs.com/common/popu...etworkMap.html
http://onlinestore1.cingular.com/htm...on_GSM_map.htm

Peace,

Rafster

**Cruznlife1** · 05-27-2005, 02:32 PM

No I got tired of the worthless useless direct connect. It was a novelty when I got it, a month later I was done with it. I'd rather just call someone and talk to them, I'm tired of throwing my phone because I'm so damn frustrated with it, BEEEEEEP, "Try again" Beeeeeep "Try Again" Beeeeeeep "Try Again" AHhghghhghghghgh, SMASH !

**Cruznlife1** · 05-27-2005, 02:35 PM

Okay, also much more worried about internet connection than phone control, I'll never use the phone control anyways, lol.... I go camping alot, spend alot of time on the road etc.... MANY times wishing I could get on mapquest or check forums, or waiting to hear back from someone via email.... I do alot of my work etc.. On the road, I'd much rather pull on the side of the road or in a parking lot in my a/c wtihout even getting out of the truck and getting on the net to take care of things. Faster is better, cheaper is best.... Looking for a carrier with unlimited type services, etc.... That wont kill me month to month, I'm more worried about monthly cost than I am speed....