[Deval]

Here is the basic difference between SMS and Shortmail, to help answer questions I have been seeing on the forum:

SMS stands for Short Messaging System and is the standard text messaging system for most wireless carriers, which Sprint is starting to adopt now. It's two-way messaging to and from the handsets. You launch the SMS app, compose your message, and hit send. The message is sent over the network directly to the recipient. The recipient's handset downloads the message automatically and they can quickly and easily read it and reply in the same fashion. This faster and allows users to send messages to anyone in their phone book, or any mobile number or email address right from the phone, with no need to connect to the web.

Short Mail is a web-based version of text messaging. To compose the message, you first have to connect to Vision (or old Wireless Web), go through the Short Mail portal, type it, then send. It then goes through Sprint's web server before it gets to the recipient. Then, the recipient gets a notification of the message but it hasn't been delivered to the handset yet. You then have to connect to Vision, go through the Vision portal to the actually download the message. This requires a seperate 'address book' of phone numbers which you can text to.

Sprint also has one-way text messaging that does get delivered right to handset without having to connect to Vision, but it's only one-way. Without a special application, it can't be sent from the handset, only by e-mail or from Sprint's website. You also can't reply to it.

Both Short Mail and one-way text messaging are unlimited if you have unlimited Vision or the old Wireless Web. If you have a Vision phone and don't have unlimited Vision, you pay for the messages by the kilobyte of data transferred, not by the message.

Short Mail takes more steps, it's less reliable, it's subject to time outs and errors, and is just a poor substitute for SMS. That's why Sprint is finally setting up real mobile originated SMS.

Most current handsets will not be SMS capable. The only current handsets confirmed to support SMS are the Nokia 3588i, Samsung VI660, Sanyo VM4500 (5500), Toshiba VM4050, and the Handspring Treo 600. Just about all Sprint phones released from this point forward should support SMS.