[MacUser]

Other people have reported that they will send you an email saying that your card unable to be charged, was there another way for you to pay.

I would contact them prior to avoid delay, shipping is going to be a hectic time and you wouldn't want them to put you in a stack of "issues".

How do I contact them?!

[Hayswj]

All you have to do is go and buy the Treo from Cingular.. Tell them you want it for phone and PDA, and add it on the website through your account. Or the B2B reps I have talked to said that if you don't need email then they will put you on the Media Works for $20... That is the difference between media works $20 and the $40 unlimited internet.. The reps said that the media works is EDGE....

[cjdaniel]

I was thinking of that. I think I will do that today. I am just wondering how is it technically possible to "lock out" the Cingular branded T650 from MediaWorks. The 100thMonkey seems to think that is impossible. Perhaps the data plan price structure is a matter of "semantic" distinctions. The technology could all be the same, but the way it is packaged and marketed could be different.

I am not a technical expert inGSM/GPRS expert, neither is my Cingular Rep, he/she has assured me that this won't happen but, if it does, he/she will "fix" my account, so I am not concerned. But, I don't want to give out information that will screw other people up. I can't imagine though they would mess with it considering that there are so many ATT/Cing Treos already but, I have been wrong before.

[MisterEd]

While it is electronically possible (using IMEI numbers), it's not being done by the system. We can't. Especially if we don't know you have one. That's why it's best getting it from P1. Once they know you have it they (reps) could refuse to sell an ineligible plan on a specific device. The best, safest way is the "stealth" way.

Everyone should be warned though, they can charge you by the KB for using certain ports - VNC, remote desktop etc (as Blue does) since thats excluded from MW, mMode AND the PDA plan. The WA plans ($80) allows that. Read the 2nd msg in this HoFo thread about that issue: http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...hreadid=552150

I am just wondering how is it technically possible to "lock out" the Cingular branded T650 from MediaWorks.

[trjons]

Here...

[Tanner]

Unless it changes the day they release the 650, Cingular offers no extended/replacement warranties on any PDA phone through lockline (or anyone). Don't know about the past, but they haven't since at least last October. Hopefully P1 will care for us VC folks.

P1 replaced my first Treo 600 w/ a very nice palmone branded unloced beauty...which soon developed a loose rattling piece inside.. Palm does a very nice job of handling warranty issues for 1 year on the Treo 600.

[trjons]

And here...

[MisterEd]

It's the 2nd year I'm worrying about although my credit card doubles warranties. Certainly won't have it longer then that .... actually I'd be surprised if I have it 1 year.

P1 replaced my first Treo 600 w/ a very nice palmone branded unloced beauty...which soon developed a loose rattling piece inside.. Palm does a very nice job of handling warranty issues for 1 year on the Treo 600.

[Tanner]

I could not have said it better. Had it not been for the dismantling of the Apple Newton project, Palm (later PalmOne) would have never been born. Former Apple employees founded Palm.

and former Palm employees left to found handspring...buit the Treo from the 90 all the way up to the 600
THEN PalmOne bought them

wonder if Mac will buy back their peeps again?

[Tanner]

It's the 2nd year I'm worrying about although my credit card doubles warranties. Certainly won't have it longer then that .... actually I'd be surprised if I have it 1 year.

VERY VERY GOod thinking!

ANOTHER REASON NOT TO BUY FROM THE CINGULAR

you can't pay w/ credit card and double your warranty!

nice thinkin' MrEd!

[whmurray]

I was thinking of that. I think I will do that today. I am just wondering how is it technically possible to "lock out" the Cingular branded T650 from MediaWorks. The 100thMonkey seems to think that is impossible. Perhaps the data plan price structure is a matter of "semantic" distinctions. The technology could all be the same, but the way it is packaged and marketed could be different.

They do it with the profile. It points to a wap server.

[specimen38]

That profiles is on the SIM correct?

They do it with the profile. It points to a wap server.

EDIT: Which? MediaWorks profiles points to WAP server? or EDGE data plan profiles points to WAP server?

[whmurray]

Guess you haven't heard the horror stories of the PowerBooks G4 keyboard problems.

http://discussions.info.apple.com/we...P9.2@.689bc46e

http://www.appleorlemon.com

Or the battery problem on the iPod.

[MisterEd]

Huh? Of course they take credit cards. Do they take only beads where you come from?

ANOTHER REASON NOT TO BUY FROM THE CINGULAR
you can't pay w/ credit card and double your warranty!

[MisterEd]

NO, profiles are set on the phone. MW=WAP.

That profiles is on the SIM correct?

EDIT: Which? MediaWorks profiles points to WAP server? or EDGE data plan profiles points to WAP server?

[specimen38]

If not... profiles is on the SIM
If not... MediaWorks profiles points to WAP server
If not... EDGE data plan profiles points to WAP server

Then how is it changed? Which phones? Carriers? PalmOne? Forgive me, you guys have probably gone over this before.

NO, profiles are set on the phone. MW=WAP.

[brightcell]

So I tried to search this gargantuan thread but couldn't find an answer: I'm not familiar with GSM but if I where to buy a gsm phone, does that mean I could use it pretty much anywhere worldwide? Are all gsm phones the same and do they all accept these "SIM" card thingies or are there different types of sim cards etc? Finally, how do I go about finding a service provider when I travel to another country? Thanks all.

Wozzer,
For GSM roaming info, try that:
http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/index.shtml

Sim cards are the same (physically speaking).
What matters the most is the frequency your phone supports.... the Treo 650 is Quad band (800, 900, 1800 and 1900) so you are find all other the world

Hope it helps.

[brightcell]

All you have to do is go and buy the Treo from Cingular.. Tell them you want it for phone and PDA, and add it on the website through your account. Or the B2B reps I have talked to said that if you don't need email then they will put you on the Media Works for $20... That is the difference between media works $20 and the $40 unlimited internet.. The reps said that the media works is EDGE....

Exactly !
Spoke to a friend of mine (store manager for Cingular) during lunch.
He confirmed that the release date is the 27th but he wasn't sure if he would get units in his store before February (NYC).
I asked about MediaWorks and he assured me that it will be possible to get that plan with the 650 ( same thing with the 600 BTW) .... except if I "need email" then the $40 plan is needed.

I can't remember a time I was so impatient about a new toy like that.
Feels like being a kid again around Xmas

[whmurray]

Since Cingular GPRS has been up and down like a yo-yo since Saturday am, 650 GSM announcement will not be very timely.

[MisterEd]

You have me thoroughly confused now. I guess I don't know what your asking. I'll give it a shot.

Maybe I'm using the wrong semantics here. Your data plan & account info is in the Cingular computer system. The SIM has a serial number that identifies your account in the system (and what packages you bought and what phone - by IMEI - you own). All your options are in the Cing computer. When you asked: "I am just wondering how is it technically possible to "lock out" the Cingular branded T650 from MediaWorks" the answer is they can't. They just don't sell it to you. A rep can add it if they want but the system might reject it if it's attached to a 650 or he might get fired if caught or he might use another "backdoor" to apply it if he's your buddy. That is why you use the STEALTH MODE. You tell them you have a Nokia 3120, they assign MW to the 3120, the IMEI reflects the 3120 but you put the sim in the 650, you manually enter the WAP servers & password into the 650 network settings and you're off.

If you just get a 650 and add MW over the web, There is a POSSIBILITY that if they audit the accounts and see MW they could remove it. If you go stealth they won't. Someone else was saying a rep told him that "if you dont want email they will sell you MW." I don't subscribe to that theory. I don't beleive it to be correct. He might give it to you but it has nothing to do with email, it's how it is entered in the system.

The account in the computer (identified by the number on the sim) thinks your using a 3120 and getting MW legitimately. The technology is available to ID a phone by IMEI but it's not in use. Just like accessing a Windows server the main Cing computer system gives you or denies you access to whatever it wants when you try to access it depending on how they set your privleges. So if you enter the NON-WAP server on your 650 and you don't have permission to access it and you get an error message. If you access the WAP server it will let you through.

Edge is NOT a data plan. Edge is in the air (sounds like a song). I still firmly believe that MW gives you edge connections regardless of the server (wap or not). According to a post by jimw who seems to know his stuff, he now seems to agree. As I've always said ... if you have data, an edge compatible phone, you have EDGE speeds (which vary greatly depending on many conditions). AT&T mMode (their version of MW) definately does ....... I get 80-100+ using their wap plan and wap server plus I have no problem accessing non-wap websites.

If not... profiles is on the SIM
If not... MediaWorks profiles points to WAP server
If not... EDGE data plan profiles points to WAP server

Then how is it changed? Which phones? Carriers? PalmOne? Forgive me, you guys have probably gone over this before.