Cingular GSM / Treo questions

I currently have an old AT&T TDMA phone that I'm considering replacing. I
really like the Treo 650, which I'm told will be available from Cingular
later this month. I have a few questions though:

1. A Cingular salesman told me (in trying to sell me a Blackberry) that
their lowest cost unlimited data plan is $45/mo. I see a plan on their web
site called "MEdia Works", which looks like it includes unlimited web
browsing for $20/mo. Maybe that's not full IP access; the web site is not
very detailed. The Cingular on-line store lets me select a Treo 600 with
MEdia Works, so I assume it's compatible. What's the real deal?

2. He also told me that their entire network is EDGE enabled, and anywhere I
get GSM service I should get EDGE data speed. I was a little skeptical about
this claim. Is it true?

3. Is there a source for unlocked Treos in the U.S.? If I buy directly from
PalmOne, for instance? If so, would Cingular give me any trouble when I try
to activate it? I'm not interested in
"do-it-yourself-cable-soldering-warranty-voiding" unlocking solutions.

TIA.

-Eric

---

› See More: Cingular GSM / Treo questions

Eric wrote:
> 1. The Cingular on-line store lets me select a Treo 600 with
> MEdia Works, so I assume it's compatible. What's the real deal?

Media Works ought to do it for you. I haven't heard of being able to
tether a Treo to a PC, so the oddball protocols shouldn't be an issue.

> 2. He also told me that their entire network is EDGE enabled, and
anywhere I
> get GSM service I should get EDGE data speed. I was a little
skeptical about
> this claim. Is it true?

My experience has been that AT&T has EDGE, and if Cingular has EDGE
it's constrained to GPRS speeds.

tg.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Eric wrote:
>
> My experience has been that AT&T has EDGE, and if Cingular has EDGE
> it's constrained to GPRS speeds.


And where would you have picked up this experience?

--
SS

Tested Cingular in Charleston, SC, Richmond, VA, Alexandria, VA,
Harpers Ferry, WV. Was able to get registered on Cingular in all but
Richmond BTA; saw remarkable speed difference when on AT&T in
Alexandria and Harpers Ferry. While in Richmond the T-Mobile network
showed speeds comparable to Cingular, and T-Mo's advertised no EDGE
capability.

This leads me to conclude that if Cingular's running EDGE in the
southeast, the speeds are no better than GPRS.

tg.

Shaolin Superfly answered:

> "Eric" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>I currently have an old AT&T TDMA phone that I'm considering replacing. I
>>really like the Treo 650, which I'm told will be available from Cingular
>>later this month. I have a few questions though:
>>
>>1. A Cingular salesman told me (in trying to sell me a Blackberry) that
>>their lowest cost unlimited data plan is $45/mo. I see a plan on their web
>>site called "MEdia Works", which looks like it includes unlimited web
>>browsing for $20/mo. Maybe that's not full IP access; the web site is not
>>very detailed. The Cingular on-line store lets me select a Treo 600 with
>>MEdia Works, so I assume it's compatible. What's the real deal?
>
>
>
> We are not allowed to activate any PDA or data device with a GSM rate plan
> and Mediaworks in a company owned store. Has to be activated with a data
> plan designed for such a device.
>
>
>
>>2. He also told me that their entire network is EDGE enabled, and anywhere
>
> I
>
>>get GSM service I should get EDGE data speed. I was a little skeptical
>
> about
>
>>this claim. Is it true?
>
>
>
> Totally not true. Some areas do not have EDGE.
>
> Where are you located?
>
>
>
>>3. Is there a source for unlocked Treos in the U.S.? If I buy directly
>
> from
>
>>PalmOne, for instance? If so, would Cingular give me any trouble when I
>
> try
>
>>to activate it? I'm not interested in
>>"do-it-yourself-cable-soldering-warranty-voiding" unlocking solutions.
>
>
>
> You can purchase through PalmOne. You won't be able to go through Cingular
> for any warranty/technical assistance. Cingular "unofficially" doesn't care
> if you buy a phone from them. They're not making money on the phone anyway.
> The salesman shouldn't care. He's not paid commission on the phone either.
>
> --
> SS
>
>
Just shut your ****ing Gob, you Maggot slant eyes.

"Eric" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I currently have an old AT&T TDMA phone that I'm considering replacing. I
> really like the Treo 650, which I'm told will be available from Cingular
> later this month. I have a few questions though:
>
> 1. A Cingular salesman told me (in trying to sell me a Blackberry) that
> their lowest cost unlimited data plan is $45/mo. I see a plan on their web
> site called "MEdia Works", which looks like it includes unlimited web
> browsing for $20/mo. Maybe that's not full IP access; the web site is not
> very detailed. The Cingular on-line store lets me select a Treo 600 with
> MEdia Works, so I assume it's compatible. What's the real deal?


We are not allowed to activate any PDA or data device with a GSM rate plan
and Mediaworks in a company owned store. Has to be activated with a data
plan designed for such a device.


>
> 2. He also told me that their entire network is EDGE enabled, and anywhere
I
> get GSM service I should get EDGE data speed. I was a little skeptical
about
> this claim. Is it true?


Totally not true. Some areas do not have EDGE.

Where are you located?


>
> 3. Is there a source for unlocked Treos in the U.S.? If I buy directly
from
> PalmOne, for instance? If so, would Cingular give me any trouble when I
try
> to activate it? I'm not interested in
> "do-it-yourself-cable-soldering-warranty-voiding" unlocking solutions.


You can purchase through PalmOne. You won't be able to go through Cingular
for any warranty/technical assistance. Cingular "unofficially" doesn't care
if you buy a phone from them. They're not making money on the phone anyway.
The salesman shouldn't care. He's not paid commission on the phone either.

--
SS

Don't be surprised if Cingular-branded 650s are available from PalmOne
long before unbranded, unlocked 650s are. Also, well into the 600 life
cycle, carrier-branded 600s were being shipped by PalmOne much faster
than unbranded, unlocked 600s were.