Tethering – Phone as Modem – Yes/No - Apps?

[meyerweb]

Lilmexx and Fushigi hit it. For occasional use I'm not going to sign a contract for an air card at $60 a month. I will happily pay PDA Net a $30 one time fee, however.

This is just one of the reasons I'm not sold on the Pre yet. I've got a lot of functionality on my 755p that it's not at all clear will be replicated on the Pre, at least at launch. Will the Pre calendar give me floating appts, multi-day reminders and sophisticated alarm controls like Datebk6 does? Will it have time and event based profiles controlling sound, brightness, and more (heck, I doubt it will have profiles at all)? Will it support tethering? Will it support turning the radio on and off at specific times? How well will it notify me of missed calls, VMs, etc., without me having to turn it on? Will it allow me to speed-dial a number from anywhere in any app (with Butler, my 755p will), or do I have to switch the phone app first? Does it have functionality like keycaps, or will I have to go back to the inefficiencies of hitting the function and shift buttons all the time? Will the contacts search be even close to as good as TakePhones?

The old Treo platform certainly has it's problems, but with the vast availability of software it can be used to create a fast, efficient, finely tuned workhorse. While the Pre is undeniably cool, and the multi-tasking will be nice, and the browser looks great, there are still a heck of a lot of unanswered questions about how well it's really going to work, and how well it's going to meet MY needs.

[jbg7474]

Originally Posted by dtokarz

What's the speed difference between a dedicated card and tethering a phone? It just sounds like the phone would be much slower, but handy in a pinch.

I use USBmodem with my 755p--it's a little bit slower via Bluetooth because the BT radio on my 755p sucks so badly. However, the USB connection is perfectly capable of the speeds delivered by EVDO rev 0. I can reliably get about 100KB/s download (800kbps). Better than my first DSL connection several years ago.

I agree with the other posters here: it's incredibly valuable when I need it, but I don't need it often enough to justify the expense of either paying Sprint monthly for the privilege or buying a separate card with its own plan. Even if it was only $30 per month, I wouldn't buy it. I pretty much only use it in an airport while waiting for a flight, and then only when I need to download a document or something. So perhaps total use is about 5 hours per month. I'll skip it if I have to pay extra.

[rc46]

With my 800w I get fantastic PAM speeds. My wife has a Verizon card from work and tethering my 800w is almost always faster. I also use WiFi router that allows me to create a hot spot anywhere, and any time. Its very handy when I want to download something on my ipod touch or if I have a friend that needs to go online.

I'm sure the hackers will figure out how we can keep this very important functionality and have it with the Pre, but it may take some time.

[Merovingian]

I see no qualms in tethering my 700Wx either via BT or USB. I'm already paying for 5gb's of data so whether I use it all on my phone or with my PC shouldn't matter as long as I stay within the 5gb threshold monthly.

Even if the Pre doesn't tether out of the box on day 1, it's only a matter of time before an app or mod comes out for it.

[Mike5]

Using a 3rd party like PDAnet, I heard you could get between 300-800k for speeds. I was told it was good for all basic stuff, but you needed the higher end of the range speeds to effectively use software like SlingBox, You Tube, etc.

[Zyphlin]

Originally Posted by meyerweb

Lilmexx and Fushigi hit it. For occasional use I'm not going to sign a contract for an air card at $60 a month. I will happily pay PDA Net a $30 one time fee, however.

This is just one of the reasons I'm not sold on the Pre yet. I've got a lot of functionality on my 755p that it's not at all clear will be replicated on the Pre, at least at launch. Will the Pre calendar give me floating appts, multi-day reminders and sophisticated alarm controls like Datebk6 does? Will it have time and event based profiles controlling sound, brightness, and more (heck, I doubt it will have profiles at all)? Will it support tethering? Will it support turning the radio on and off at specific times? How well will it notify me of missed calls, VMs, etc., without me having to turn it on? Will it allow me to speed-dial a number from anywhere in any app (with Butler, my 755p will), or do I have to switch the phone app first? Does it have functionality like keycaps, or will I have to go back to the inefficiencies of hitting the function and shift buttons all the time? Will the contacts search be even close to as good as TakePhones?

The old Treo platform certainly has it's problems, but with the vast availability of software it can be used to create a fast, efficient, finely tuned workhorse. While the Pre is undeniably cool, and the multi-tasking will be nice, and the browser looks great, there are still a heck of a lot of unanswered questions about how well it's really going to work, and how well it's going to meet MY needs.

Most likely I'd imagine that, out of the box, the Pre's not going to do a vast majority of those things. No new software platform is going to match a decade old OS like Palm or WinMo. The question is more, how fast can they catch up. Apple caught up to a lot of the things software wise pretty quickly, though still isn't fully there due to a variety of limitations.

If all those things are top importance to you I can tell you now, most likely your best bet is to wait 6 months to a year on getting a Pre to let software developers start work. I imagine the majority of majorly used programs would be out within 6 months, year at most.

[gilroykilroy]

I currently tether my Instinct (even though it is not officially supported.) If the Pre cannot be tethered (BT is not an option for me due to higher battery drain) then I will stay with my Instinct. I commute on the train 2 hours a day so this is very important to me (but not something I am willing to buy as an additional card for my laptop.)

[oceanrealm]

I also use PDAnet to tether my 755p. It is invaluable at my job, as I am in a building (thick-walled) that barely picks up the work wireless signal. It's hit or miss. So I sometimes will use my 755p tethered to my laptop to go online (btw, the speeds are fine).

As the launch date nears, I am wondering if I will wait until there is a solution with the Pre. I may go ahead and buy it, but wait to activate it. I'm sure the first several weeks after the release will be wild and crazy on these Palm sites... with all sorts of attempts at workarounds, etc. By the way, I bought Palm stock back in February... so please, everyone else don't hesitate, but rather jump on the Pre bandwagon right away ;-)

[Ti-maniac]

Well I was bellyaching on the other post and saw this one. PAM is essential.

[asforme]

Just as an FYI, it may or may not matter to some of you, but Tethering is not in the TOS under the Simply Everything plan anyway, it requires an additional phone as modem plan.

General Terms of Service
Terms & Conditions

Except with Phone-as-Modem plans, you may not use a phone (including a Bluetooth phone) as a modem in connection with a computer, PDA, or similar device. We reserve the right to deny or terminate service without notice for any misuse or any use that adversely affects network performance.

Details on Simply Everything Plan
Simply Everything

Phone as modem or tethering: not included.

[Derek Kessler]

Originally Posted by Ti-maniac

Well I was bellyaching on the other post and saw this one. PAM is essential.

Then stick with whatever you've got now. Bellyaching's not going to help you do anything but get an ulcer.

[NickDG]

Like others who posted, I use tethering but not very often. But when I do use tethering it has been a life saver. I don't want to give that up. I use USB Modem on my Centro with speeds over 1mbps in good reception areas.

I am not really worried about it because I feel there will be a tethering app within a month after the release. I would like one that allows USB/BT/Wifi. Even though battery drain would be a problem, turning the Pre into a wifi hotspot with internet sharing would allow multiple people to connect at once. Just plug it into the wall if battery is a problem.

[ImmaSlave4U]

Originally Posted by gilroykilroy

I currently tether my Instinct (even though it is not officially supported.) If the Pre cannot be tethered (BT is not an option for me due to higher battery drain) then I will stay with my Instinct. I commute on the train 2 hours a day so this is very important to me (but not something I am willing to buy as an additional card for my laptop.)

I'm replying to this on my Instinct, and I'm curious if you care to share how you go about thethering w/ your Instinct?

[deesugar]

One of the closest phones that resembles the Pre in it's capabilities and the way Sprint launched it (if the rumors are correct about the Pre) is the Instinct. The Instinct just like the Pre (unofficially) can only be added with an SE plan and just like the Pre it is capable of PAM and connects as a storage device.

It seems Instinct owners hacked it to do PAM on Sprints network quite easily and we might be able to do something similar when the Pre is finally out.

Watch the Video:

YouTube - Instinct as modem - Connect to the internet through your phone on Windows XP

[Derek Kessler]

Originally Posted by NickDG

Even though battery drain would be a problem, turning the Pre into a wifi hotspot with internet sharing would allow multiple people to connect at once. Just plug it into the wall if battery is a problem.

Now that would be an awesome application, but I'm not sure that architectural limitations of the Pre would allow it. I can see doing a reverse link to a computer with the Pre masquerading as a router, but the problem comes with how client devices (laptop, phone, etc) and routers handle WiFi connections - the client device is designed to connect to one network at a time, whereas the router is designed to connect to multiple devices and serve as a bridge. Antennas and processors and bridges are at the very least notably different between the two device classes.

[Ti-maniac]

Originally Posted by asforme

Just as an FYI, it may or may not matter to some of you, but Tethering is not in the TOS under the Simply Everything plan anyway, it requires an additional phone as modem plan.

General Terms of Service
Terms & Conditions


Details on Simply Everything Plan
Simply Everything

Guess you like to post the same thing in multiple locations.

[cardfan]

All i know is you can do this with WM devices using an app. Some nokia i think too. Turn into a wifi hotspot that is. Didn't apple have something similar but pulled the app?

Personally, i ordered a cradlepoint router that will do the same.

[Eguy]

Originally Posted by cardfan

All i know is you can do this with WM devices using an app. Some nokia i think too. Turn into a wifi hotspot that is. Didn't apple have something similar but pulled the app?

Personally, i ordered a cradlepoint router that will do the same.

On high end Intel Wifi cards, they now include a thing called MyFi which turns your laptop into a hotspot so you can use your laptop as a router. I will probably be using that. (I know its not from device to laptop like cradlepoint, its only from laptop to device)

[rimam1]

There's a slick app for the Blackberry called TetherBerry, but it looks like tethering or phone-as-modem is not an option on the Pre, but how important is it to you?

Is this a deal breaker for you?

Raza Imam
www.PalmPreReviewer.com

[ronbo2000]

To me it is very important. I use data for my laptop more than I use my voice plan.