Does anyone use Chatter w/o unlimited data?

**hsk** · 04/30/2005, 03:23 AM

I just started to use Chatter as my main email program, and I was wondering, does being "online" constantly use more of your data quota? I don't have unlimited, only 7 megs/mo, but since December, using the built-in Palm app checking for emails every 15 mins I only use on average 2 megs/mo (I only download the first 2.5K).

I've set up Chatter so that all my accounts are forwarded to a Fastmail account, but now I'm wondering if because it's online all the time I'm going to be hit with a big bill next month. I have Chatter set up to only download the first 2.5k, like I did with the other program. Does anyone know whether you use data just being online or is it like your airtime (your minutes/megs only get used when you're talking/transferring data, as opposed to just standing by)?

**Chatter** · 04/30/2005, 11:43 AM

It's really hard to say - data usage depends on lots of things, including how many "online" Mailboxes you have, how good your connection is (poor connection = more re-connects = more overhead), how many online mailboxes, how much mail, etc....

I DON'T recommend Chatter for people without unliimited data, just because I'd hate to be wrong about any estimate I might make. But ... lots of people DO use Chatter with plans like yours.

Sorry I can't be more helpful!

Marc

**talkin73** · 04/30/2005, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by hsk

Does anyone know whether you use data just being online or is it like your airtime (your minutes/megs only get used when you're talking/transferring data, as opposed to just standing by)?

The data quota that you mention of 7M only applies to the transfer of data to your handheld. Maintaining an online connection, without exchange of data to the handheld does not count against your monthly quota. I'm virtually certain of this, but please let me know if this is incorrect.

**Chatter** · 04/30/2005, 04:08 PM

Well, that's true, but it's also true that Chatter's maintaining ITS connections DOES count, and that relates to the quality of your connection.

Marc

**talkin73** · 04/30/2005, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by mblank

Well, that's true, but it's also true that Chatter's maintaining ITS connections DOES count, and that relates to the quality of your connection.

Marc

So the open connection, even if no messages are being downloaded, causes a usage of "data"?

**Chatter** · 05/01/2005, 12:07 AM

Sure, there's some. The server tells Chatter about any changes, not just new messages. And after a disconnect, data is used to reconnect. And, if there hasn't been any activity for a while, Chatter checks in to make sure the connection is still valid.

Marc

**hsk** · 05/25/2005, 01:47 AM

OK, I just got my first post-chatter bill, and it looks like being constantly online DOES use more data, I was at 5.3 megs this month compared to an average of 2 megs with my old system. Under my limit, but substantially more than before - I don't think I had a lot more emails this month than previously.

**hsk** · 05/26/2005, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by mblank

It's really hard to say - data usage depends on lots of things, including how many "online" Mailboxes you have

Why does it matter how many online mailboxes you have? Now that my ISP's IMAP is working, I was going to put all my mailboxes online (I have 5), but I'm thinking, before, I forwarded all of them to my fastmail account, so I had 1 online mailbox. Does Chatter "communicate" with each mailbox constantly when online? Would I use less data if I forwarded all my messages to one of the mailboxes and leave only 1 online?

**Chatter** · 05/26/2005, 02:15 AM

Chatter keeps a separate connection for each Mailbox that is online (that way, all can be pushed; otherwise, they would have to be polled). So you can either aggregate them or, perhaps, not all of them need to be pushed, and perhaps can be put on a schedule?

Marc

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