zhatka
11-08-2004, 03:14 PM
I just got off the phone with my local Sprint store because I am investigating getting a card for my laptop for fairly light internet use (to and from work type stuff).
Notes, thoughts:
- The cards, it appears, are the same price no matter where you go ($200 +/- $60 seems about average)
- When I spoke with the gal I was informed that there was no unlimited plan for SprintPCS (I have been a customer for about a year) and that plans ranged from $30.00 to $80.00 the highest having 300MB usage.
- Excuse me, as per the rep, you can get 300 (I'm not kidding here) KEGOBYTES for the $80.00 . Is that a lot? Does data have a metric scale that I am not aware of ? (I know, I know, but I kinda chuckled on the phone)
So here is where I am at. Every now and then, I like many others will slap that cable into my laptop and do the #777 trick to check a flight, or get some e-mail and then unplug it. I am very aware of the contractual issues, etc. But I have never gone over 30MB for any given month and that is IF it is one of the times I had to do it. But for the sake of wanting to be legit I decided to investigate these cards, if only for the comfort of knowing I have a connection I can use. Now I would spend upwards of $40.00/month for unlimited data on a wireless connection. It's just that important to me personally. The fact that Sprint does not have a plan that supports this, and currently has an extreme gray area around using your phone for a modem, is leaving me here:
- T-Mobile has a GC79 for about $200.00 that I Have been doing some research on and the plan is $29.99 for all you can eat. I am still skeptical since I LOVE SprintPCS and the service that I currently get. But the $29.99 is pretty enticing. Reviews say the card works good, and coverage is fairly decent. (I go between Seattle, PDX, and LA) I don't expect anything greater than a dial-up connection so anything over that is just icing.
- The lack of decisive action by Sprint to either embrace a data package for the average user, or to at least present a reasonable pricing scheme ($29.99/mo for 2GB with a 1 year agreement would be fair) demonstrates to me that there are internal issues that may surround capacity, politics, or possibly not embracing future technologies. I don't know. I am just a user and perception is reality.
- If you can get nailed for using #777 since it is against the policy, why in god's name don't they just turn it off? Or is it better to leave it on as bait, get someone in, then pull the plug and get the ETF and bad publicity?
I don't know if I am going to get the T-Mobile, keep my Sprint Cell, then after my contract is up switch to T-mobile (based on customer service, coverage, pricing, feature, plans, phones) ortake my chances with the limited data use through my phone. I really want to be legit and remain with Sprint. I have been treated with nothing but respect and I truly believe that Sprint is the best out there. But this data policy thing is really weighing heavy on what is going to be a decision with a lot of $$$$'s around it.
Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated. I am in no way bashing Sprint, I just would like to see some other perspectives and possible solutions that folks have used that are in this same space.
I know this will probably draw some flames ("see ya", "if it sucks so bad leave", "it says very clear in the contract", "t-mobile sucks"), but that's ok.
Thanks in advance.
Z
One other thing if anyone knows of another service that has something along the lines of the t-mobile 'all you can eat' data package that has been good, please let me know!
Notes, thoughts:
- The cards, it appears, are the same price no matter where you go ($200 +/- $60 seems about average)
- When I spoke with the gal I was informed that there was no unlimited plan for SprintPCS (I have been a customer for about a year) and that plans ranged from $30.00 to $80.00 the highest having 300MB usage.
- Excuse me, as per the rep, you can get 300 (I'm not kidding here) KEGOBYTES for the $80.00 . Is that a lot? Does data have a metric scale that I am not aware of ? (I know, I know, but I kinda chuckled on the phone)
So here is where I am at. Every now and then, I like many others will slap that cable into my laptop and do the #777 trick to check a flight, or get some e-mail and then unplug it. I am very aware of the contractual issues, etc. But I have never gone over 30MB for any given month and that is IF it is one of the times I had to do it. But for the sake of wanting to be legit I decided to investigate these cards, if only for the comfort of knowing I have a connection I can use. Now I would spend upwards of $40.00/month for unlimited data on a wireless connection. It's just that important to me personally. The fact that Sprint does not have a plan that supports this, and currently has an extreme gray area around using your phone for a modem, is leaving me here:
- T-Mobile has a GC79 for about $200.00 that I Have been doing some research on and the plan is $29.99 for all you can eat. I am still skeptical since I LOVE SprintPCS and the service that I currently get. But the $29.99 is pretty enticing. Reviews say the card works good, and coverage is fairly decent. (I go between Seattle, PDX, and LA) I don't expect anything greater than a dial-up connection so anything over that is just icing.
- The lack of decisive action by Sprint to either embrace a data package for the average user, or to at least present a reasonable pricing scheme ($29.99/mo for 2GB with a 1 year agreement would be fair) demonstrates to me that there are internal issues that may surround capacity, politics, or possibly not embracing future technologies. I don't know. I am just a user and perception is reality.
- If you can get nailed for using #777 since it is against the policy, why in god's name don't they just turn it off? Or is it better to leave it on as bait, get someone in, then pull the plug and get the ETF and bad publicity?
I don't know if I am going to get the T-Mobile, keep my Sprint Cell, then after my contract is up switch to T-mobile (based on customer service, coverage, pricing, feature, plans, phones) ortake my chances with the limited data use through my phone. I really want to be legit and remain with Sprint. I have been treated with nothing but respect and I truly believe that Sprint is the best out there. But this data policy thing is really weighing heavy on what is going to be a decision with a lot of $$$$'s around it.
Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated. I am in no way bashing Sprint, I just would like to see some other perspectives and possible solutions that folks have used that are in this same space.
I know this will probably draw some flames ("see ya", "if it sucks so bad leave", "it says very clear in the contract", "t-mobile sucks"), but that's ok.
Thanks in advance.
Z
One other thing if anyone knows of another service that has something along the lines of the t-mobile 'all you can eat' data package that has been good, please let me know!