I need a phone to connect a laptop to the 'net. And I know nothing.

Hi.

So, can anyone point me to some websites that explain a bit more about
the various options I have? (Yes, I HAVE Googled, with little luck.
I'm crap at Google, so sue me). I know nothing about the different
companies, the available bands, their capacities, their availability
or anything else useful.

Also, what new phone do I need? I DO know that I need a new phone. My
old V600 has buttons full of grit, a faded screen, weak battery and
all sort of loose bits.

I've recently been paying £6 for an hours wifi connection for my
laptop in hotels with BTopensomethingorother. Therefore I would like
my new phone to be able to act as a modem for my laptop for internet
use. This is for Messenger Live with a webcam so I can talk to family
on those occasional away days. They are not regular, a few times a
year, so I don't want a data card and permenent contract for such.

A new phone should also do...

Long battery life.

Large screen.

mp3 ringtones.

speakerphone.

long bluetooth range.

Able to run an operating system that can sync with MS Outlook.

Long battery life. Did I say that already?

Thanks for any insights you can give me.

Mike.

Mike Barnard <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi.
>
> So, can anyone point me to some websites that explain a bit more about
> the various options I have? (Yes, I HAVE Googled, with little luck.
> I'm crap at Google, so sue me). I know nothing about the different
> companies, the available bands, their capacities, their availability
> or anything else useful.
>
> Also, what new phone do I need? I DO know that I need a new phone. My
> old V600 has buttons full of grit, a faded screen, weak battery and
> all sort of loose bits.
>
> I've recently been paying £6 for an hours wifi connection for my
> laptop in hotels with BTopensomethingorother. Therefore I would like
> my new phone to be able to act as a modem for my laptop for internet
> use. This is for Messenger Live with a webcam so I can talk to family
> on those occasional away days. They are not regular, a few times a
> year, so I don't want a data card and permenent contract for such.
>
> A new phone should also do...
>
> Long battery life.
>
> Large screen.
>
> mp3 ringtones.
>
> speakerphone.
>
> long bluetooth range.
>
> Able to run an operating system that can sync with MS Outlook.
>
> Long battery life. Did I say that already?
>
> Thanks for any insights you can give me.

Want the moon on a stick, too?

FWIW, I'm staying away 1 or 2 nights every week at the moment - usually,
I can't get a decent 3G signal from my hotel room, so end up using the
in-room broadband / wifi.

You're probably better off with an Openzone subscription.


--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

On Tue, 9 Oct 2007 22:23:28 +0100, steve@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH)
wrote:

>Mike Barnard <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> Hi.
>>
>> So, can anyone point me to some websites that explain a bit more about
>> the various options I have? (Yes, I HAVE Googled, with little luck.

Hi Steve. How 'r 'u?

>Want the moon on a stick, too?

Why not try? :-)

>FWIW, I'm staying away 1 or 2 nights every week at the moment - usually,
>I can't get a decent 3G signal from my hotel room, so end up using the
>in-room broadband / wifi.
>
>You're probably better off with an Openzone subscription.

Like I said, two or three times a year is the expectation. But, above
that, I still know little about 3g, etc. Where, that isn't trying to
sell me their version of something, can I find clear non partisan
information about what I want to look for?

Gotta go, got an appointment at 10.

Cheers.

Mike.

Mike Barnard <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote:

> On Tue, 9 Oct 2007 22:23:28 +0100, steve@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH)
> wrote:
>
> >Mike Barnard <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi.
> >>
> >> So, can anyone point me to some websites that explain a bit more about
> >> the various options I have? (Yes, I HAVE Googled, with little luck.
>
> Hi Steve. How 'r 'u?

Bloody tired - 680 miles since Monday morning. On the upside, the more
miles I do, the sooner I get to pick a new car.....

> >Want the moon on a stick, too?
>
> Why not try? :-)
>
> >FWIW, I'm staying away 1 or 2 nights every week at the moment - usually,
> >I can't get a decent 3G signal from my hotel room, so end up using the
> >in-room broadband / wifi.
> >
> >You're probably better off with an Openzone subscription.
>
> Like I said, two or three times a year is the expectation. But, above
> that, I still know little about 3g, etc. Where, that isn't trying to
> sell me their version of something, can I find clear non partisan
> information about what I want to look for?
>
> Gotta go, got an appointment at 10.

Look at the mobile network sites to check 3G coverage. My experience is
that it's still very patchy at the moment.

The last 3 nights out, I've used hotel broadband (usually i-ban?) as I
haven't had a 3G connection - this is near Ipswich, Holiday Inn off the
M1 at Northampton and also the Holiday Inn Express in Milton Keynes.

Mind you, for checking email / usenet and a bit of light browsing, GPRS
isn't too bad - but I had some large spreadsheets to download, so
couldn't rely on GPRS.


--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - Hongdou GY200 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE - COSOC KOTL
BOTAFOT #87 - BOTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

"Mike Barnard" <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote in message
news:681pg3tntrjr41sevdsop0knlfnpgtqfuo@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 9 Oct 2007 22:23:28 +0100, steve@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH)
> wrote:
>
>>Mike Barnard <m.barnard.trousers@thunderin.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi.
>>>
>>> So, can anyone point me to some websites that explain a bit more about
>>> the various options I have? (Yes, I HAVE Googled, with little luck.
>
> Hi Steve. How 'r 'u?
>
>>Want the moon on a stick, too?
>
> Why not try? :-)

Would you like fries with your "moon on a stick" Sir
Sorry about that :-)

I notice McDonalds will be rolling out "Free" WiFi at their restaurants.

The Cloud who are involved with the McDonalds rollout, also do a rolling
contract for iPod Touch users
(seems to be linked to the iPod Touch MAC address)

FWIW
I use T Mobile's WiFi Hotspots (XDA Mini S or iPAQ 2210) using credit on a T
Mobile PAYG sim card at 75p for 10 minutes at a time.

You text OPEN to 9526 from the handset and T Mobile send you back the login
details.
It works OK for me and drops you if you forget to logout.
It's £1 a minute when "roaming" on the BT Openzone network.

BT also give free WiFi minutes to its "Total Broadband" customers with their
"BT FON" initiative.

Hope it helps someone

Alan

"Gavin" <gavin@mindless.com> wrote in message
news0dvg3dvfhboa8dvl5d6ldr4b84c2sghhf@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:01:13 GMT, "Alan Semple"
> <alandotsemple@nospam.ukonline.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>BT also give free WiFi minutes to its "Total Broadband" customers with
>>their
>>"BT FON" initiative.
>>
>
> Not quite, any BT Broadband customer gets 250 minutes anyway for use
> on openzone
>

Apologies for the error.

"Openzone and" got lost somewhere :-)

It should have read:
"BT also give free WiFi minutes to its "Total Broadband" customers with
Openzone and their "BT FON" initiative."

I hope that's better

> BTFon is a different matter, that doesn't come out of the 250 mins
> usage

I was reading something similar to this before I posted:
http://www.productsandservices.bt.co...?topicId=15760

"BT Total Broadband residential customers only. Opt-in required. Monthly
access minute allowance per connection: Option 1 - 250, Option 2 - 350,
Option 3 - unlimited (500 in Openzone Hotspots). Unused monthly minutes
cannot be carried forward. Access available in range of BT FON Wi-Fi
Community members' BT Home Hubs (coverage dependent on number in active
use), BT Openzone Hotspots or FON access points outside of the UK. Wireless
enabled equipment required. Conditions apply - see www.bt.com/btfon for
details. "

I apologise again that my post did not come across the way I intended.

Alan