From: DJ Vollkasko (DJ_Vollkasko_at_gmx.net)
Date: Thu Nov 27 2003 - 13:26:32 PST
Uh, while this fabulous GT is at this time a bit too pricey for me, I'm
still very curious about it... Maybe you can quench my thirst for information:
Q: Could it work with an MP 130/NOS 2.0 already?
Q: And just how expensive is GPRS?
On purchasing, I found that the sites named have very different prices
going, see below:
>From: doppler <roman_at_pixell.net>
>
>try <http://www.novamedia.de>http://www.novamedia.de the card supports
GSM, GPRS and HSCSD in the
>900, 1800, 1900 bands, which should include overseas.
They ask EUR 275,-- + VAT or US$ 321.75 + VAT for the card w/ Mac Software
and internal antenna, w/o headset.
And "incl. SIM contract with German carrier "E-Plus". !! Offer only
available for German residents!!" they ask for EUR 145,-- + VAT resp. US$
169.65 + VAT.
The headset is about EUR 17,--/US$ 20,-- + VAT, and they also offer
external and internal antennae (how internal is this internal antenna? And
isn't it already included w/ the card?).
>From: Luiz Petroni <lpetroni_at_compassoarte.com.br>
>
>There's www.option.com which has an online store. They recently
>launched a new GPRS/Wi-Fi combo card and then dropped the price of the
>GT. They use DHL for intl. shipping - cost are high but service is
>reliable and fast.
They ask for € 299,- w/o taxes, and include internal antenna and headset.
The homepage also proudly points at their partners Vodafone, T-Mobile and
Orange, where you might get a better deal when buying with a contract (and
what could would that GT be without a provider, pray tell?).
>Another good source is expanSys (www.expansys.com) which use to have
>some new and 2nd hand (but almost new) cards for good prices. Don't
>know if they do overseas but you can check with some newtie from UK to
>grab the card and forward it to you.
Expansys hat websites for <http://www.expansys.com>UK :
<http://www.expansys.us>USA : <http://www.expansys.fr>France :
Deutsch <http://www.expansys.it>Italia : <http://www.expansys.es>España :
<http://www.expansys.nl>NL : <http://www.expansys.com.au>Aus, where every
country gets called by it's name but Germany. Funny? You bet, but wait 'til
you see what they consider a translation from an English website into any
of the other languages. My, what fun! *wipes awa tear of laughter*
But they do have prices, too, and these be no laughing stock:
For their "Handset Only Price" £ 246,75 they offer (incl. taxes) the card,
though it say anywhere if the headset is included - the picture would
suggest so.
HOT HOT HOT - maybe: The cheapest way to get a Globetrotter card?
Moving to the UK and this here offer: "With O2 Connection: £11.75" - makes
me wonder how expensive O2 GPRS is in comparison to other offers. Any
feedback appreciated.
Both offers at http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=GT1400-sd001 ,
and check out this small but precious feature "Note: This phone is
available handset only (SIM free) and unlocked, you can use your existing
SIM from Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone or O2." - other GT cards offered with a
contract may be wired to THAT provider ONLY. This O2 bundle is the cheapest
and most flexible offer your ole pal 'Kasko found.
The also bundle the GT with Orange Talk 200 Connection for £184.01 incl.
taxes (http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=ORG_GT1400-SD001). Much
more pricey than the O2 offer? That'll actually depend on the connection
rates. Q: Anybody know how they compare?
A serious handicap - this card is dongled: "This is a SIM locked phone
from Orange, it must be bought with an
<http://www.expansys.com/accessory.asp?code=ORG_GT1400-SD001&atype=Connectionnge
Phone connection. Because it is SIM locked it can only be used on the
Orange network." D'oh. This really cuts down the GT's value as a long-term
investment.
German Expansys in Frankfurt also offer the GT for € 390.00 inkl. tax +
headset (http://www.expansys.de/product.asp?code=GT1400-sd001). They also
offer the Orange-Bundle, but only for British customers and w/o a price
(http://www.expansys.de/product.asp?code=ORG_GT1400-SD001). Expansys
Germany also used to carry Option's FirstFone, which has received good
reviews in this list, IIRC, but it's been pulled back from sales since
(http://www.expansys.de/product.asp?code=PCFF900).
Expansys USA & Canada offers the GT for US$ 337.05, apparently straight off
UK shelves (http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?code=GT1400-sd001). They
also offer the Orange bundle with the Orange-only GT for US$ 479.90
(http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?code=ORG_GT1400-SD001).
Also check the French, Dutch, Spanish or Italian shops they have.
Our antipodes could also shop at Expansys (http://www.expansys.com.au),
they run both card-only and Orange bundles. Note: "Customer Notice Monday
17th November - The site is not live until 1st December - the prices /
stock levels are incorrect."
Q: Say, Expansys also harp that the ""Always On" feature of GPRS lends
itself to real time remote connectivity and is ideal for the
synchronisation of handheld and mobile devices with the office or home
computer. GlobeTrotter is designed to support IPsec client software
providing secure remote IP mobile access to corporate networks." - so
exactly WHAT is this "Always on" feature? A novel scheme to bill the user 24/7?
>And, of course, eBay (do a search for GPRS PCMCIA on international
>sites)...
I didn't check that. Probably will be less pricey after X-Mas, too, so one
might check this after the holidays. - What's the pricing there, usually?
Okay, let's see Option raves abut their hot partners for marketing the GT.
We've already heard about the great O2 offer, and the dongled Orange card.
What else will we find?
T-Mobile: Strong in Germany, supposedly going strong in the US, too. Their
offering is called "T-Mobile GPRS-PC-Karte mit TMCC"
(http://www.t-mobile.de/shop/handy/1,4855,2963-_340-0-,00.html), will set
you back € 149,95 IF you also use them as your provider. That's € 4,95 more
than the E-Plus-deal offered by Novamedia (see above), plus their card
looks really awful. I wonder who ever told their management that they'd use
magenta as corporate colour (they've even TRADEMARKED magenta, imagine!),
but here it looks just horrible. So if you got any taste, you'd be forced
to stay clear of this offer, but if you're always looking for stuff that
nicely clashes with you other gear, T-Mobile's PINK (yeah, call it by its
name: PINK PINK PINK! ;=} ) this would be a definitive must-have -- if only...
...THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO DAFT AS TO NEUTER THE CARD!
"Telefonie wird nicht unterstützt" - yep, they lobitomized the voice
phone functionality right outta the Globetrotter. Pardon me, mein Herr?! ;=}
Whoever on the management level ordered that should be fired ASAP.
Dongling the card for exclusive use w/ one provider - it's a mean trick on
the customer, but then, telcos are mean players in a mean game. We all knew
this before. But THIS?
And the whole thing still clocks in about € 5,-- more expensive than
their competitor's, who doesn't destroy one on the main features out of
sheer spite. Yes, you have leave to find this utterly ridiculous. You may
even laugh out loud, roll on the floor and tell the joke to all your
buddies. If you ever thought Job's laying the axe to the MessagePad product
line was the most stupid business decision ever, reconsider. This one
should rank much higher, even if it's smaller impact. Somebody should go to
the next shareholders' meeting and ask about this.
Vodafone - they don't really tell you what they offer. It's the "Mobile
Connect Card"
(http://www.vodafoneshop.de/shop/service/dataconnect.cfm?Artikel_Daten_ID=2252),
setting you back € 199,-- if you sign up with them (€349,-- w/o contract
signe in blood), it's nicely red and has the internal antenna. No mention
of a headset, no picture on a headset, no offer of a headset as an extra.
They explain the product as "PCMCIA Data Card", so I wouldn't be surprised
if they, too, pulled a T-Mobile on Option's excellent product.
I really can't believe this lobotomization thing going on. Seems their
sales argument is "Surf the web an have the mobile phone free for calls!" -
assuming (a) everybody has a mobile phone already, or (b) will buy on
TOGETHER with this card if the only get him or her into their shops, and
(c) will drag THAT along with all the other clumsy stuff. - This may be
some kind of a logic, but it sure isn't mine.
Since Expansys offers the GT bundled w/ O2-contract in the UK, it should be
available from O2, too. Didn't find anything about that, though, and the
sick stuff T-Mobile and Vodafone pulled made me feel too ill to continue
this public service research project. But I'll be happy to read what you
found out, hopefully there's more nice offers from other providers...
Another question about Option Products: About this Option Globetrotter
WLAN/GSM/GPRS-combo... Mega-tasty item, anybody reckon the WLAN part will
work on the Newton, too? Now THAT would be really brilliant!
Cheers, and happy trails!
DJV.
P.S.: I'm not employed by nor related to any of the companies mentioned.
And I don't even have a mobile anyway. I'm just curious.
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