Pagers may be better than cell phones

O/Siris wrote:
>
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> says...
> > The problem, once again, is that in order to respond to a call/page,
> > on a cell phone, you have to make a call...
> >
>
> Not true anymore, with SMS.

But you're still dealing with cellular frequencies.

Larry

---

› See More: Pagers may be better than cell phones

Lawrence Glasser wrote:

<snip>

>>http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_a630-659.php
>
> Cool!
>
> One problem, however, still remains...
>
> In my experience, for the areas that I need coverage in, pagers
> still seem to be the answer. As John mentioned, pagers run on
> a completely different frequency range than do cell phones.

There is that. But then, just wait a year or so and look at how things
are then; things change rather rapidly sometimes

I personally think that the coverage area for GSM services will improve
greatly in the near-term future, especially with the merging of
Cingular's and AT&T's networks. I rather hope Cingular will continue
AT&T's 850MHz GSM deployments, as that band does have better signal
penetration than 1900MHz GSM. Better signal penetration can mean fewer
dead spots.

For the present day, though, I see no reason not to carry both a
cellphone and a pager. If that's what you need to have proper coverage,
then that's what you have to do. For some just cellular coverage is
enough, and some need both, plain and simple.


> Believe me, if I could carry one unit, that provided me with all
> the features and coverage that I need, I'd do it in a heartbeat!

Hehe, me too!

Oh, speaking of over-stuffed devices....
http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_mpx-673.php

Kael Vaeltaja wrote:
>
> Lawrence Glasser wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> >>http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_a630-659.php
> >
> > Cool!
> >
> > One problem, however, still remains...
> >
> > In my experience, for the areas that I need coverage in, pagers
> > still seem to be the answer. As John mentioned, pagers run on
> > a completely different frequency range than do cell phones.
>
> There is that. But then, just wait a year or so and look at how things
> are then; things change rather rapidly sometimes
>
> I personally think that the coverage area for GSM services will improve
> greatly in the near-term future, especially with the merging of
> Cingular's and AT&T's networks. I rather hope Cingular will continue
> AT&T's 850MHz GSM deployments, as that band does have better signal
> penetration than 1900MHz GSM. Better signal penetration can mean fewer
> dead spots.
>
> For the present day, though, I see no reason not to carry both a
> cellphone and a pager. If that's what you need to have proper coverage,
> then that's what you have to do. For some just cellular coverage is
> enough, and some need both, plain and simple.
>
> > Believe me, if I could carry one unit, that provided me with all
> > the features and coverage that I need, I'd do it in a heartbeat!
>
> Hehe, me too!

Personal needs, personal preferences, and a belt, large enough to hang
all these devices on, without looking like the Frito Bandito! <g>

Take care!

Larry

You guys are forgetting an important issue. Infrastructure and
reliability. Sprint's servers go down for maintenance at regular
intervals and they have NO redundancy and don't plan to have it. My
company checked. And you never know when they're going down. Sprint
says if you miss a page - so what?!?!
I've had that happen - more than once. I was on call when it happened
over New Year's Eve once and the Sprint took their messaging (voice
and text) servers down for maintenance for two days. Guess how many
pages I missed? Boy did I hear about that!
I support several mainframe applications and server apps too. My job,
like several folks, depends on getting and responding to those pages
from people and servers.

So - FYI ladies and gents. Paging companies do have server redundancy,
failover, etc. And btw. So does Cingular. Yep, my company checked.

My point: Paging companies are in the business of delivering messages
to devices. Cell phone companies view that as an ancillary service and
(I asked this question) do not feel that their servers need to be up
24X7 as paging companies do.

All of our techs carry pagers and cell phones.

In alt.cellular [email protected] wrote:
> On Sat, 15 May 2004 16:36:23 -0500, Steven J Sobol <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>In alt.cellular Please invert everything left of the @ to reply <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 1) One AA cell runs my 2-way text pager for weeks when used frequently. My
>>> (three) cellphones (Nokia, Palm and Samsung) need to be restoked with a
>>> charge daily, or even more often, if used frequently, even if just in text
>>> modes.
>
>>Let's be fair: that's because you only use a lot of juice when you're
>>receiving or sending a page and that only takes seconds... a cell phone
>>does a lot more stuff, especially when actually being used...
>
> Yes, it does... all of which are irrelevant to the task at hand, getting a
> message across, no matter what.

Then why did you bring up the point? I was responding to you, sir.

>>Hm. That doesn't make sense - it's all radio transmissions, whether to a pager
>>or not.
>
> True, but there's radio,and then there's radio.

Radio waves act the same no matter which device they're coming from.

>>That's pretty close to what a lot of the cellular carriers run... although a lot of
>>them also run on the PCS frequencies.
>
> Irrelevant.

Not irrelevant. Some frequencies penetrate buildings and other structures
better.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, Apple Valley, CA PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / [email protected]
Domain Names, $9.95/yr, 24x7 service: http://DomainNames.JustThe.net/
"someone once called me a sofa, but i didn't feel compelled to rush out and buy
slip covers." -adam brower * Hiroshima '45, Chernobyl '86, Windows 98/2000/2003

"Kael Vaeltaja" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I personally think that the coverage area for GSM services
> will improve greatly in the near-term future, especially with the
> merging of Cingular's and AT&T's networks. I rather hope
> Cingular will continue AT&T's 850MHz GSM deployments,
> as that band does have better signal penetration than
> 1900MHz GSM. Better signal penetration can mean
> fewer dead spots.

There's another reason pagers are nice... The pager company isn't forcing
you to buy new equipment just to keep up with THEIR idea of progress. Pager
frequencies generally stay the same.

Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll have to
spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery & nice case -- even
if it is for the same brand of phone. And, since AWS is deliberately
trashing the compatibility of mMode with phones that are merely a year old,
looks like I'm in for *another* round of hardware upgrades.

In article <f%[email protected]>,
"[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll have to
> spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery & nice case -- even
> if it is for the same brand of phone. And, since AWS is deliberately
> trashing the compatibility of mMode with phones that are merely a year old,
> looks like I'm in for *another* round of hardware upgrades.

There's an easy cure. Don't stay with AT&T.

I was in Sams last weekend and the T-Mobile kiosk there has Sony T-610's
for Free after rebate.

"Robert M" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll have to
> > spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery & nice case --
even
> > if it is for the same brand of phone. And, since AWS is deliberately
> > trashing the compatibility of mMode with phones that are merely a year
old,
> > looks like I'm in for *another* round of hardware upgrades.
>
> There's an easy cure. Don't stay with AT&T.
>
> I was in Sams last weekend and the T-Mobile kiosk there has Sony T-610's
> for Free after rebate.

BTDT with the "new" Ericsson's garbage. But, even if it was good...

SonyEricsson *still* makes their accessories obsolete like anyone else. And
this is not a GAIT or multi-band (TDMA/GSM/GPRS) phone. And, yes, there are
areas in semi-rural WA that have TDMA, but no (or weak) GSM.

Then again, it does make pretty pictures and wacky noises... and can even
control an RC car! Just what I need for a business cell phone!

In article <[email protected]>,
"[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Robert M" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll have to
> > > spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery & nice case --
> even
> > > if it is for the same brand of phone. And, since AWS is deliberately
> > > trashing the compatibility of mMode with phones that are merely a year
> old,
> > > looks like I'm in for *another* round of hardware upgrades.
> >
> > There's an easy cure. Don't stay with AT&T.
> >
> > I was in Sams last weekend and the T-Mobile kiosk there has Sony T-610's
> > for Free after rebate.
>
> BTDT with the "new" Ericsson's garbage. But, even if it was good...
>
> SonyEricsson *still* makes their accessories obsolete like anyone else. And
> this is not a GAIT or multi-band (TDMA/GSM/GPRS) phone. And, yes, there are
> areas in semi-rural WA that have TDMA, but no (or weak) GSM.
>
> Then again, it does make pretty pictures and wacky noises... and can even
> control an RC car! Just what I need for a business cell phone!

Then you need either Verizon or SprintPCS so you can have Analog
coverage.

And Sprint will give you a very nice Nokia color phone for free.

"[ a m z ]" wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> Then again, it does make pretty pictures and wacky noises... and can even
> control an RC car! Just what I need for a business cell phone!

Screen savers, games, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink...

Give me a phone that's a phone... Nothing more, nothing less!

Larry

"Robert M" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll
> > > > have to spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery
> > > > & nice case -- even if it is for the same brand of phone. And,
> > > > since AWS is deliberately trashing the compatibility of mMode
> > > > with phones that are merely a year old, looks like I'm in for
> > > > *another* round of hardware upgrades.
> > >
> > > There's an easy cure. Don't stay with AT&T.
> > >
> > > I was in Sams last weekend and the T-Mobile kiosk there has
> > > Sony T-610's for Free after rebate.
> >
> > BTDT with the "new" Ericsson's garbage. But, even if it was good...
> >
> > SonyEricsson *still* makes their accessories obsolete like anyone else.
And
> > this is not a GAIT or multi-band (TDMA/GSM/GPRS) phone. And, yes, there
are
> > areas in semi-rural WA that have TDMA, but no (or weak) GSM.
> >
> > Then again, it does make pretty pictures and wacky noises... and can
even
> > control an RC car! Just what I need for a business cell phone!
>
> Then you need either Verizon or SprintPCS so you can have Analog
> coverage.
>
> And Sprint will give you a very nice Nokia color phone for free.

Both have lousy coverage in the areas right around my home and work. And I
wonder what the discontinuation of the T-Mobile/Cingular network-sharing
agreement will do for coverage areas with them.

But again, you miss my point. ALL of the wireless phone makers deliberately
make their accessories obsolete. My original point was that my trusty
little pager has essentially been the same for over SEVEN YEARS. It was
replaced ONCE, about a year ago, with a smaller/newer unit when the paging
company moved around some frequencies. But since the cost of the pager is
included in my monthly bill (~$15 for service, voicemail, pager and taxes),
it was FREE to me -- not even a shipping cost.

In article <[email protected]>,
"[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:

> ge areas with them.
>
> But again, you miss my point. ALL of the wireless phone makers deliberately
> make their accessories obsolete.

You must be switching between manufacturers. Sony, Samsung, Sanyo, Nokia
accessories work on a variety of their models. You have to try hard to
get phones where you'd need a new car charger. Are you buying bejeweled
accessories? I found ones 1/3 of OEM prices at Target.

"[ a m z ]" wrote:
>
> "Robert M" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "[ a m z ]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Actually, it isn't so much the change of phone as the $100+ I'll
> > > > > have to spend on a new desk charger, car charger, extra battery
> > > > > & nice case -- even if it is for the same brand of phone. And,
> > > > > since AWS is deliberately trashing the compatibility of mMode
> > > > > with phones that are merely a year old, looks like I'm in for
> > > > > *another* round of hardware upgrades.
> > > >
> > > > There's an easy cure. Don't stay with AT&T.
> > > >
> > > > I was in Sams last weekend and the T-Mobile kiosk there has
> > > > Sony T-610's for Free after rebate.
> > >
> > > BTDT with the "new" Ericsson's garbage. But, even if it was good...
> > >
> > > SonyEricsson *still* makes their accessories obsolete like anyone else.
> And
> > > this is not a GAIT or multi-band (TDMA/GSM/GPRS) phone. And, yes, there
> are
> > > areas in semi-rural WA that have TDMA, but no (or weak) GSM.
> > >
> > > Then again, it does make pretty pictures and wacky noises... and can
> even
> > > control an RC car! Just what I need for a business cell phone!
> >
> > Then you need either Verizon or SprintPCS so you can have Analog
> > coverage.
> >
> > And Sprint will give you a very nice Nokia color phone for free.
>
> Both have lousy coverage in the areas right around my home and work. And I
> wonder what the discontinuation of the T-Mobile/Cingular network-sharing
> agreement will do for coverage areas with them.
>
> But again, you miss my point. ALL of the wireless phone makers deliberately
> make their accessories obsolete. My original point was that my trusty
> little pager has essentially been the same for over SEVEN YEARS. It was
> replaced ONCE, about a year ago, with a smaller/newer unit when the paging
> company moved around some frequencies. But since the cost of the pager is
> included in my monthly bill (~$15 for service, voicemail, pager and taxes),
> it was FREE to me -- not even a shipping cost.

While I don't know if all paging carriers are the same, I've got nothing but
good things to say about Verizon Wireless.

On the few occasions that I've had to return/exchange a pager, they've always
delivered one by the next day (no shipping charge, as you mentioned), including
an envelope for pre-paid shipping (via UPS or FedEx) back to them.

Now THAT'S customer service!

Larry

[ a m z ] wrote:

>>I personally think that the coverage area for GSM services
>>will improve greatly in the near-term future, especially with the
>>merging of Cingular's and AT&T's networks. I rather hope
>>Cingular will continue AT&T's 850MHz GSM deployments,
>>as that band does have better signal penetration than
>>1900MHz GSM. Better signal penetration can mean
>>fewer dead spots.
>
> There's another reason pagers are nice... The pager company isn't forcing
> you to buy new equipment just to keep up with THEIR idea of progress. Pager
> frequencies generally stay the same.

This isn't entirely fair to cellular.

Before I go on, a small disclaimer: I'm relatively unfamiliar with the
historic U.S. cellular landscape. I grew up in Europe, using the
world's very first GSM operator, so whatever limited knowledge I have is
somewhat limited to the 900MHz and 1800MHz GSM.

That said, as I understand it there are four, and only four, GSM bands
in the world: 850MHz/1900Mhz and 900MHz/1800MHz. The former pair is
used exclusively in the U.S. and a few fringe regions, and the latter in
Europe and elsewhere. 900MHz GSM is the oldest of the bunch. In late
'90s they came up with the 1800MHz GSM, after the operators started to
encounter some crowding problems on the 900MHz band (AFAIK). I think
it's roughtly at this point that some U.S. operators decided to jump on
the GSM bandwagon. Later on when the 850MHz band was opened up, the GSM
operators started using that frequency in the U.S. as well.

Pager frequencies may generally stay the same. However, the same goes
for GSM: my very very first GSM phone from early 1992 works just fine
even today. Same goes for my 1900MHz Nokia from circa 2000. They may
be banged up, battery life nonexistent, but they work and you can make
calls with them.

"Lawrence Glasser" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Prilosec wrote:
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > Sorry, pagers are a dying technology. There is no advantage to them at
all
> > for me, and probably not for anyone else fairly soon.
>
> UNLESS, once again, you're in a venue where communication is a must, and
> talking on a cell phone is impossible.
>
> Larry

Like being in the Drug Trade :-)