I am buying a Treo cell phone. This is because I have been using a Palm 125 for years now and it’s a hassle to drag a PDA, cell phone and camera around together. I love my palm, ( no wise cracks).
The question is I have an option to add net access and e-mail. I don’t need e-mail but I can see how net access might help in accessing vendor info in the field or mapping info when lost.
That said I don’t understand the size of a Kilo Byte as information goes. There’s an unlimited plan that cost is $40 bucks a month or with a $10 monthly you get 5mb with a 1 cent charge per KB….? How might this penny accumulate? I know there are x number of KB in a MB.
If an accessed web page has a 7mb page is that my cost in one fell swoop just to look at it? Or if I send a job photo thats 258 kb does that cost me $2,58 if I’m over my 5mb?
A lot to ask and I tried to keep it simple but, man….!
Edited 9/27/2006 12:07 pm by jagwah
Replies
What are you options with switching plans. Can you do that monthly?
If you get the unlimited plan can you get usage reports (or are they built into the phone?).
I would be tempted to go with the unlimited plan for 3 months and then see your usage.
Thanks
I've gotten similar advice from my cingular plan provider saying just pay the $40 for the first month, look at your usage and then adjust your plan.
Do you use a plan for net access? How is your usage? if so
All of my internet is fixed usage (DSL) and also my cell phone usage is limited.I have a pay as you go plan and get 1000 minutes good for a year for $100 and I probably won't use all of it.
If an accessed web page has a 7mb page is that my cost in one fell swoop just to look at it? Or if I send a job photo thats 258 kb does that cost me $2,58 if I'm over my 5mb?
yes and yes.
i don't think you want to access too many 7mb pages on a Treo though.
the carriers are trying to push you to buy the unlimited usage plan. Bill's recommendation to get the unlimited for 3 months to check your usage is a good one. paying per kb could bankrupt you.
i would love to have this service for my phone/pda, but at $40 per month for data, there is just no way. it is too expensive. i can see businesses paying that for certain employees but for the average person, no way. that's more than many pay for home broadband.
that would push my personal cell phone bill to $100 per month. yikes.
carpenter in transition
Jag,
1 KB is 1024 bytes
1 MB is 1024 KB
1 GB is 1024 MB
The average web page is about 40KB I believe (these statistics may vary).
Going by this very rough statistic the 5MB would last you 128 dowloaded web pages, meaning on your overages, one web page would be $0.40.
The average web page is about 40KB
Yeah, maybe 14 years ago when everyone had 14.4K dialup speed!
Small pictures are more than 40KB. Maybe, just maybe all the text on a page might be as SMALL as 40KB but often is larger. As a test, the "Start Reading" frame of the first thread here at breaktime was/is 77KB at the moment I checked.
Yeah I guess that's totally unrealistic now. Probably around 150-200 KB?..
Whatevers.
I have a Treo 650 with Sprint and I would tell you not to bother with the web access as it's extremely slow and most web pages are not really formatted for the viewing size.
For map program - check out Mapopolis.com.
I have the map memory card for the Treo from them which cost me $69 or so and has detailed street-level maps of the entire US on it.
It's got a few quirks, but in general has been a lifesaver and allows for quick address searches - even from you address book listings.
They also offer web-downloadable county maps for like $10 or so each - but apparently, the version that comes on the card with the whole US is a lot less flaky.
And their support is great - I actually just lost my card last week (That sucks!) and I emailed them and they will re-download the entire program and all of the maps for free if I send them a blank 1GB SD card - which I can buy these days for $17-22.
Highly recommended - I never use mapquest anymore that's for sure.
Julian
Thanks for the info. I just talked to my son-in-law in L.A. and he says just that and even is going to send me his Mapolis cd.
I didn't understand the size of web pages and the fact that not all are wop or pda scaled hence the slow download time.
he uses his for e-mail mostly since he's a realtor and his T-Mobile plan offeres unlimited useag for around $10 bucks or so.
Besides he reminded me that since I'm using Avanti on my PDA that I could avoid some of the net need.
Does the Treo have a built in GPS reciever? My wife's does not.
I use a Bluetooth GPS reciever with my PDA and Mapopolis. You can DL the Mapopolis software for free but you need to buy the maps.., but then maybe you know this already. I'm an e-mail freak so that would be a good option for me.
I think the gps is an option but not included. Maybe the 700 I'll check.
View ImageYep GPS for $299
Edited 9/27/2006 4:49 pm by jagwah