best way to connect to internet with pda?

[shootist16]

I am in the market for a pda. I admit I know very little about them, so I'm trying to do some research.

What is the best way to connect online with a pda?

 

[mtnbkr]

The best way, one that fits the whole spirit of a PDA (mobile data) is wireless. You have two ways of getting online wirelessly: 802.11b and some sort of 3G service (Verizon Express Network, Sprint's nearly identical service, etc). 802.11b requires there to be 802.11b hubs wherever you want to surf AND that you have access to them. Some coffee shops, airports, and hotels are putting them in for Internet access, but it's very limited. 3G is cellular based (not exactly, but close enough for this discussion). If the service is available in your area, you can connect. It's not cheap, but works well and more widespread than 802.11b will probably ever be. I used Verizon's service while in Gatlinburg, so I'm sure it's available in Knoxville. I'm using it right now in fact. Verizon has most of the US covered or scheduled for coverage. With current 3G services, you connect at rates up to 153kbs, but your average is 40k-60k. It feels like a fast, clean dialup. 802.11b is 10Mbps, but limited as I said before.

With 3G, I can ride around the DC beltway while online (with VPN I can connect to the office and work while riding to a meeting). I travel a lot in the mid-Atlantic. Coverage is very good.

Your other option is a standard wired modem. It's cheaper, but you need an ISP.


Chris

 

[Joe Talmadge]

I don't know the best way, but I can tell you what I do. There's two types of browsing and email, offline and online.

Offline browsing means downloading web pages and email through your desktop computer into your PDA, then reading things on your PDA at your leisure. You can use avantgo or isilo to download web pages. In the case of avantgo, there are many web sites that have special PDA-formatted versions, and you can sign up for them just by clicking on avantgo's URL lists. Both programs will follow links down as many layers as you'd like ... for example, I subscribe to pdabuzz, and the top level page is really a bunch of hyperlinks to the actual stories. So, I tell avantgo to download 2 levels of hyperlinks, so I get not just the front page with hyperlinks, but the actual stories as well.

The other way to browse is online. I've decided to go the lowest-cost method I could -- in other words, I didn't want to pay a separate subscription for www access from my PDA, and I also didn't want to use a block PDA as my cell phone. My solution is, I bought a special wire from a company whose name I forgot (can look it up for you) that connects my PDA to my cell phone. For most GSM, PCS, and CDMA carriers (i.e., about everyone but AT&T), there's a way to use the carrier itself as an ISP "for free" -- or rather, they only charge you for the minutes, but not for the ISP service. Setting this up is VERY EASY: when you order the wire, directions come with it. You can use a whole lot of PDA-based web browsers -- I use both avantgo and eudoraweb -- to browse the web online. Different PDA browsers are relatively good or bad at rendering different web pages, so it's worth having more than one version. Upside of my way of doing this: it's "free", since I'm already paying for my cell phone and only getting charged minutes. Downside: I browse at 14.4k (!!!), so it's text-only.


Okay, so what you need:
Offline browsing & email: avantgo (Free) or isilo (something like $29).
Online browsing: GSM, PCS, or CDMA cell phone that HAS A DATA MODE (some don't!) and is supported by a carrier that has an ISP (most do). Wire to connect cell phone to PDA (~$50). avantgo (free), eudoraweb (free), any number of other browsers (most are not free).
Email: the standard mail program that comes with the pda can do offline email (I've never used this). I use eudoramail to read my email online.


So basically, with my setup, other than one upfront cost (the wire), plus cell phone and service (which I already have anyway), I surf the web online and offline for free. I read email for free, with one exception: if you have a yahoo email address you want to read, there's a ~$20/year fee to do pop email.

If you want faster service (>14.4k), now you're talking about paying monthly fees that are not insignificant.

Joe

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Originally posted by mtnbkr


Your other option is a standard wired modem. It's cheaper, but you need an ISP.


Chris

Good summary. Just wanted to point out that there is another "other option". You can browse at 14.4k for free with most carriers (as I pointed out above), instead of paying high monthly fees to get 3G services that, as you pointed out, end up averaging only 4 times faster than the free service anyway!

Joe

 

[J. MacDonald]

While there aren't a lot of Bluetooth enabled phones yet, more are coming. With Bluetooth, you do pretty much what Joe mentioned above for online browsing, but you don't need the special wire. Bluetooth is like a low power 802.11b that allows for "personal networking". With a Bluetooth PDA & phone, you can surf online through your cell phone without physically connecting them, and even get a wireless headset to use with the phone as well.

The Palm Tungsten T is Bluetooth enabled and I believe the Toshiba i740 is as well.

jmx

PS: Joe made passing reference to pdabuzz.com, it's a great site. Think of it as BFC for PDA nuts.

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Ya, my plan has been to graduate from the wire to bluetooth -- provided bluetooth phones and PDAs (or SD/CF/MS/etc. bluetooth cards) aren't too ridiculously priced.

I don't think Sony's bluetooth MS is available in the US yet, is it? Unfortunately, I think I won't be on bluetooth for 2 years or so.

Joe

 

[J. MacDonald]

I got Staples to do a 110% price match from a website and got my Bluetooth native Palm Tungsten T (hardware and software native) down to $359.00. Cingular already has bluetooth phones and according to the CSR at Verizon when I called tonight, they'll have Bluetooth phones soon. She said no date was given but that she was in a training meeting yesterday and they were told very soon. They have to get with it to maintain marketshare.

BTW, which PDA are you using?

jmx

 

[Joe Talmadge]

I'm using the Sony Clie T615C, so I'm waiting for the Sony bluetooth memory stick to hit the US (it's already available in Japan).

joe

 

[tonyccw]

I am able to read and post to BF on my Casio E-125 and the Verizon Express Network 1X wireless service. That's about it. Pocket PC 2002 has more web browsing support (better than the IE 4.0 on my E-125). Which I'll test once I take delivery of my new Ipaq 5470.

As for email, if you have an AOL account, I can get it via my T-Mobile phone and Blackberry 5810 using the web-browsing feature. My standard office mail comes in on the Blackberry.

 

[mtnbkr]

Originally posted by tonyccw
I am able to read and post to BF on my Casio E-125 and the Verizon Express Network 1X wireless service.

Does this mean there's a 1xRTT Compact Flash card out now? When I first signed up, nobody had a "3G" Compact Flash card on the market (about 10 months ago).

Chris

 

[tonyccw]

Originally posted by mtnbkr
Does this mean there's a 1xRTT Compact Flash card out now? When I first signed up, nobody had a "3G" Compact Flash card on the market (about 10 months ago).

No. I had to use a CF serial interface cable, that I jury rigged from an old wireless data modem, to make this work. That's the reason I ordered the Ipaq. No Card slot adapter that fits the E-125.