Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 09:43:54 -0800
From: "Michael Berlant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: Cellular & Libretto
If you can get reliable GSM service from FIDO, why not look at picking up a used
Motorola Timeport 7089 or 7389? These are tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 phones with iR
ports in the bald spot. You should be able to pick up a used 7089 on eBay for under
US$200, often little more than US$100. I have one of each model and they both use iR
for both address book synchronisation and modem interface (with an included iRDA
driver for your laptop).
As for locking to FIDO for the rest of your life, that's not the whole story. If you
buy a phone from FIDO and they give you a discount off the purchase price in exchange
for signing a one- or two-year contract for service, they will 'SIM lock' your phone
to only work with a SIM issued by them. Once you have fulfilled your commitment, they
should give you the code to release the lock, since they have earned in profit more
than the discount they gave you in the beginning. Naturally, if you buy a phone on
the open market, and confirm that it is not SIM locked, there is no way that FIDO can
impose a SIM lock on that phone, since they can never get their grubby little paws on
your phone.
>Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 09:07:19 -0800
>From: Perry Frayn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: Libretto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: Libretto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: RE: Cellular & Libretto
>
>Howdy all,
>
>Thanks for all the replies.
>
>I'm still researching on this end.
>
>I should have mentioned that I'm located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
>
> From what I can tell there are only two phone out there that have the IR
>capability in this part of the world. The Nokia 8890 and the Nokia 8290.
>The 8890 is a Global GSM phone that costs around $890.00 Canadian. (out of
>my price range) The 8290 is basically the same phone as the 8890
>featurewise. Its is not global, but it does fall within my price range of
>approx $300.00 . The dealers here in the city all carry the 8890.....I'd
>have to buy a 8290 from the United States.
>
>Only one of the three main services in this area will support this model of
>phone. "Fido" has a fairly good rate package but there coverage area falls
>far behind the other systems.
>
>One of my big concerns is the fact that once I activate the 8290 on the
>Fido network, the phone will lock itself to this network and can only be
>used on the Fido network for the rest of it's llife. For some reason the
>8890 will not lock to a specific network when activated.
>
>The Fido dealer told me that I would have to buy the data software for the
>8890 to get the IR link to work. He did not sell the 8290 but said the same
>would apply to it. This is not true. I found the software for both phones
>on the Nokia site. (www.nokia.ca).
>
>It looks like I'll be going with the 8290 unless my research finds
>something else. Now I just have to find one. :).
>
>It appears that most of the new phones do not support the IR. I'm guess a
>cable will give a bit better speed on the connection?
>Most of thes cables plug into serial port on the PC side. It would be a
>shame to have to carry a cable and the port expander for the LIbretto.
>
>Thanks again for all the comments....I'll let you know how it works out.
>
>regards, Perry
>
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